


Dearly Beloved

by PhunkyBrewster



Category: The Mindy Project
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Friendship, Romance, Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-25
Updated: 2014-04-25
Packaged: 2018-01-20 18:48:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 44,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1521641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhunkyBrewster/pseuds/PhunkyBrewster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mindy must deal with the embarrassment of being a runaway bride. Danny is more than willing to help her cope in any way that he can, even if that means going on an unexpected adventure. Mindy x Danny. Multi-chapter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any characters established with the Mindy Project. Also, this story will contain adult language and themes. This is a continuation of Selfie #8 in Sixteen Selfies and it is strongly suggested that you read that installment (also titled _Dearly Beloved_ ) prior to reading this story; however, the story can be read on its own.
> 
> * * *

The alarm on her phone cut dutifully through her early morning haze, promptly ending a dream that was already half forgotten. Mindy Lahiri allowed only one eye to briefly blink, thinking that keeping one eye staunchly closed would somehow keep her within sleep's blessed reach, while she mentally catalogued her short list of options: she could either a.) silence the alarm and, against every screaming, reluctant bone in her body, commence with her morning routine and head to the practice; b.) again, silence the alarm and forgo the idea of showing up to work entirely, leaving her the day to wallow miserably in the solitary confinement of her apartment or, c.) hit the snooze button, temporarily return to sleep, and revisit her options when she was ten more minutes refreshed. Each choice had its pros and cons.

Going to work would show a certain brand of strength and confidence that, ideally, most would find admirable. That logic stemmed from a simple truth: not too many people could publicly flee from their own wedding, in front of God, all of their loved ones and colleagues, and return to work the following Monday. She figured that surviving the stares and the spread of hushed gossip about her alone would require Beyonce Pad Thai levels of resilience. The strength to do so existed within her somewhere, of that she was certain.

It was the questions, though, that made her the most apprehensive. Not just any question, surely, but questions from the likes of Morgan, Beverly, and Peter. The judgment from Jeremy and the pity from Betsy and Tamra weren't anything to look forward to, neither. Even the assured support of at least one fellow doctor might not have been enough to help her sustain all of that.

Staying home, however, didn't immediately register as such a great alternative. Without the distraction of her work or friends, Mindy would be left alone with her self-deprecating thoughts. Spending the whole day by herself in her apartment while she mentally beat herself up sounded like something that she should avoid. _What's done is done_ , she'd reminded herself repeatedly since Saturday afternoon, but that did nothing to silence the utter hatred she felt towards herself. She imagined that the feeling would only magnify as the day progressed and by nightfall she would be nothing more than an emotionally drained heap on her bed, wishing that she had just gone to work.

She then realized that either choice would lead to the same outcome: the emotionally drained feeling, the self-deprecation, the self-pity, and the embarrassment. It was all pretty inescapable, no matter where she was.

But at least there was wine at home, along with a comfortable bed, pajamas, ice cream, and Ellen Degeneres on her DVR. And, if she were honest with herself, the prospect of taking a shower just wasn't all that appealing at the moment. If she were going to spend the day immersed in guilt, she might as well be comfortable. With that, she silenced her alarm and sent a quick text to Jeremy informing him that she was taking a personal day and would need Betsy to reschedule her appointments.

She knew that she had to face it all at some point…just not today.

* * *

Danny Castellano had to admit that despite his instincts, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

He knew there was no way that she would come in and face everybody this soon and honestly, he thought, who in their right mind would? They worked with a group of very invasive, albeit well-meaning people who didn't believe in boundaries or self-filtering; it would have been a disaster before their second round of appointments. The best thing, obviously, was for her to stay home and collect herself before she had to deal with everyone on a professional level.

But a part of him couldn't help but root for the small possibility of Mindy marching in determinedly, figurative guns blazing as she faced everyone and declared, "Yes. Yes, I did leave that boring, smug jerk at the alter as I was physically making my way down the aisle. Who has something smart to say about it?!" It would have been something so brave – so fiercely her – and that would have surely shut everyone up. It would have been something he couldn't help but stand behind and champion.

Still, Danny understood her reasoning behind calling out of work. Despite his personal feelings regarding the whole display, it was still a lot to process and she needed the time and privacy to do so before facing the masses. He got that. It just felt like such a missed opportunity after something that he thought was, underneath all of the pandemonium, pretty courageous.

...

_He hadn't meant to sit so closely to the aisle, but the rapidly filling pews left him very few options and the only available seating was on Elliot's side and next to Mindy's elderly, surly-looking relatives. The aisle seat next to Betsy, as undesirable as it was, looked the least uncomfortable._

_Betsy, bouncing in her seat and covered head-to-toe in a pink and yellow floral dress, turned to Danny with an excited smile. "I cannot wait to see Dr. Lahiri's dress," she squealed. "I bet it's dripping with diamonds and has a thirty-foot train! She must look like a princess."_

_Danny furrowed his eyebrows. "Betsy, I'm sure she'll look nice, but I doubt the dress will be that extravagant. Have you been to many weddings?"_

" _Oh, I've been to plenty of simple family weddings," Betsy explained brightly, "but nothing this sophisticated, nothing thrown by a practicing sinner."_

 _Danny nodded his understanding and waited for the ceremony to start. The inexplicable anxiety he had felt all week felt like it was growing as the minutes ticked away on his wrist watch. He was ultimately happy for Mindy's big moment (something that she had romanticized quite vocally since the day they had met) if that meant that_ she _would be happy, but he simply could not muster enough excitement for how much things would change. She would be Dr. Lahiri-Mjeckwindowski (which he had just learned how to properly pronounce after almost two years). Elliot would be in the background all the time. They would eventually have kids, which would mean that her time would be forever split between the practice and her family at home. Would there even be enough time to hang out with her friends? With him? At that point would it even be appropriate for them to hang out like they do now?_

_Furthermore, there had always been this weird, undefined tension between him and Elliot, so seeing him waiting at the alter for his best friend made him shift uncomfortably in his seat. He had always hoped that he would be another temporary fixture in their world until someone better came along, even after the first year had passed. Danny held onto that hope up until the very moment he witnessed Elliot kneel before Mindy at the office Christmas party and propose. If he really thought about it, he may have even held on to the possibility beyond that._

_So sitting in the church now, waiting for Mindy to seal her fate with this tall, smarmy, blonde investment banker (_ Ugh _, he groaned internally) felt a little like watching her walk to her death. It was a struggle to put on (and maintain ) a mask of unrelenting support._

_He heard the music of the string quartet, stationed at the head of the church, change as the mothers of the bride and groom were ushered in by Rishi and a man who Danny assumed was Elliot's younger brother. They were soon followed by a line of paired attendants in black and pink suits and dresses, including Gwen and Alex (whose eye contact he was sure to avoid), then Riley and a little boy, both looking very reluctant in their roles as flower girl and ring bearer. Once the party was lined up in their well-rehearsed positions, the congregation was asked to rise to their feet for the entrance of the bride. The doors at the back of the church swung open and revealed Mindy as she stood with her father, their arms linked._

_She was a breath-taking sight. Her dress didn't quite "drip with diamonds" nor was there an obscenely long train, but her beaded bodice gently hugged her figure and a smooth river of satin flowed well past her feet and glided behind her as she slowly made her way down the aisle. Danny could vaguely see the flashing lights and hear the snapping of cameras in the perceived distance, but he was unable to truly focus on anything but her. Mindy was positively stunning._

_Her expression, however, was not what he had anticipated. For someone who had been planning her wedding since she was in elementary school, he figured that she would look ecstatic, eager, unfalteringly optimistic, or at the very least happy. Instead, she looks petrified. Even though the dress restricted the entirety of her rib cage, he could still see how heavy she was breathing. She attempted to smile, but it wasn't anything at all like the ones that reached her eyes. It was the smile of someone who was trying way too hard to appear much happier than she was. Danny looked around to see if anyone else noticed, but everyone around him appeared to be too busy taking pictures. Something didn't feel right._

_Suddenly, she turned to him and they locked eyes as her father's gaze remained forward. She looked terrified, as if she were silently crying for help, but she kept her mouth shut. No, this wasn't right._

" _Are you okay?" he mouthed._

_At that, she swallowed hard, then looked ahead towards the man waiting for her next to the priest. After a moment her trek slowed noticeably. She eventually came to a complete halt just inches away from Danny. Her father turned his head towards her, visibly confused, and called her name under his breath while urging her to continue. Mindy remained still as her breath got heavier. She looked like she was about to cry._

" _Mindy?" Danny called out cautiously, unable to help himself. It seemed to snap her out of her trance long enough for her to snap her attention to him in panic, then back to the front._

" _No no no," she mumbled faintly, just audible enough for him and his row of guest to hear. "Oh, no. No no no."_

" _Mindy!" Her father called a little more firmly, but low enough to only be heard by a small circumference of guests around them._

_Mindy shook her head slightly, then more vigorously as she continued to say "no" repeatedly. The chorus of whispers and gasps surged while the color in Elliot's face drained almost as instantly as he was able to summon a look of complete shock. He looked like he was about to call out her name when she cried, "I'm so sorry. Elliot, everybody, I'm so, so, so sorry." She then unhooked her arm from her father's, turned around and hiked up her dress. Before anyone could stop her, she was running back up the aisle and through the church doors in a flash._

_Before he even realized what he was doing, Danny was alongside Mindy's father as they ran after her, surrounded by loud chatter and shouting. By the time they had made it outside, a cab was already pulling off from the curb in front of the church and Mindy was nowhere to be seen. He knew that Mindy was in that cab, and he had a feeling he'd know where to find her._

_..._

If he didn't care so much about looking like such an awful friend, Danny would tell Mindy that the reoccurring memory of her running from Elliot provided a reliable source of comfort for him the remainder of the weekend. Naturally, he felt awful about the anguish and embarrassment she was suffering, but he was just so glad that she had managed to dodge, potentially, one of the hugest mistakes she could have ever made. He wanted to continue to be of comfort to her, but he was also anxious for them to get to a place where she could really appreciate that she had made the right decision, regardless of how dramatic the revelation may have been. There was someone better for her out there, he was certain of it.

The day progressed pretty slowly. He avoided as much Mindy-related office chatter as he could while fitting in as many of her originally slated appointments as his schedule would allow. When there was a lull in the late afternoon, Danny whipped out his phone and typed a quick text.

**Took on a few of your appointments today so**  
 **you only had to reschedule two. I hope you got  
** **some much needed rest. See you tomorrow, champ?**

**To: Mindy  
** **Apr 14, 3:42 p.m.**

* * *

Mindy tore her teary eyes from the Kate Winslet movie at the sound of her phone buzzing with an incoming text message. She quickly read the message from Danny and felt a tiny appreciative smile tug at the right corner of her mouth. She had gone back and forth between holing herself up in her apartment for one more day and returning to work. She couldn't see herself waking up the next morning feeling any better than she did at 6:00 a.m. that day, but the reminder that she had someone in her corner - one of the few people that actually mattered – made her feel just a little stronger and more prepared to deal with this mess hands on. She replied.

**Don't know what I'd do without  
** **you, Danny. See you tomorrow. :o)**

**To: Danny  
** **Apr 14, 3:45 p.m.**

_The day was bound to come_ , Mindy thought to herself with a sigh, _so why not tomorrow?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So if you're wondering how this falls in the TMP universe, I've decided that this strays away from canon a bit: Elliot takes place after Casey, but her and Casey never got engaged (although I'm thinking they still went to Haiti). That means that there was no Cliff (I won't miss him). I don't want Mindy to have a string of failed engagements within the context of this story, so we're just going to pretend that this is her first one. I hope that makes sense!

Danny was one of the last ones to arrive at Shulman's Women's Health Associates on Tuesday morning, exiting the elevator to find everyone (sans Mindy) milling around the reception area. Peter and Jeremy were combing through their respective files while everyone else appeared to be getting settled. He adjusted his messenger bag as he approached the front desk where Betsy was stationed.

"Good morning, Dr. Castellano!" Betsy greeted cheerfully as she watered one of the desk plants. She stopped to quickly pick up a file lying next to her keyboard and handed it to him.

"Morning, Bets," Danny mumbled, grabbing the file of his first patient of the day. "Any cancellations?"

"None today," she replied instantly. "Do you know if Dr. Lahiri will be in today?"

"Uh, as far as I know, yeah," he replied distractedly, perusing the topmost document.

"Nice," Peter piped in exuberantly, snapping his file closed. He placed it on the table, lifted open the flap of his own bag, and started rifling through its contents until he pulled out a folded sheet of paper. "I have drafted a few jokes a la Mindy's outrageous wedding gaff and I wanted to bounce a few of these off of you guys."

Jeremy sighed dramatically and tucked his file under his arm. "Peter, is that absolutely necessary?"

Peter nodded. "It definitely is. The best cure for embarrassment is laughter, right? Okay, you guys, give me feedback. I'm trying to invoke the spirit of Richard Pryor with some of these-"

"Nope," Danny interjected assertively, snatching the sheet from Peter's hand and tearing it to shreds. "We're not doing that. Everybody, listen up!" The staff gave him their full attention. Morgan and Beverly even stepped forward in order to listen a little better.

"None of you, under _any_ circumstances," Danny was careful to emphasize, "will bring up the wedding in this office. I'm serious. No jokes, Peter. Same goes for you, Jere."

Jeremy appeared offended. "What makes you think I would be so crass as to joke about Mindy's unbelievably embarrassing, horrific, entirely unseemly –"

"Okay, enough," Danny interrupted with a wave of his hand. "Again, no jokes. No slipping inspirational quotes under her door or in her files, Betsy." The brunette receptionist hung her head as pulled a scrap of paper out of a nearby file and tossed it into the trash. Danny turned towards Morgan and Beverly and gestured at the both of them.

"No questions, you two, incredibly personal or otherwise."

Beverly mumbled her reluctant compliance while Morgan pantomimed zipping his lips shut. Danny turned to Tamra and prepared to command the same acceptable behavior from her, but stopped when she held up a hand confidently.

"Dr. C., I'mma save you some time and let you know that I don't care about any of this," she stated plainly, looking absolutely uninterested in the current topic of discussion.

Danny pointed approvingly. "Good work, Tamra."

She made her way back to her desk while Danny dismissed everyone with, "I'm serious, guys. Just be cool, alright?"

* * *

When the practice came into sight, Mindy began to revist the dread she had felt upon waking up that morning. She felt somewhat ready to return to work after she had showered, put on her favorite blue and emerald green skirt and blouse, and had a breakfast of coffee and a bear claw, but the reality of having to endure the silent judgment of her colleagues and staff began to weigh heavily on her as she approached the steps of the building. Would they be upset with her for wasting their time that Saturday, or would they pity her for still being husbandless and in her thirties? Either outcome would make her feel absolutely terrible. She finally reached the concrete steps and stared at the entrance for a moment while she silently gave herself a pep talk.

"Just own it," she commanded under her breath. "What's done is done and you're better for it." Gathering her last bit of resolve, she straightened her posture and made her way confidently up the steps.

She was grateful that she didn't have to share the elevator with anyone she knew. The stares and pity would have felt unbearably awkward in such a small space. She took the merciful solitude as a good sign and maintained her improved posture.

When the elevator stopped at her floor she was surprised to see everyone in the reception area at once. The sight was a little overwhelming, especially when everyone began to greet her at once with great enthusiasm.

"Mindy, darling! Hello!"  
"Heeeeey, Dr. L! You look so pretty today!"  
"You're back! I've missed you so much!"  
"Is that a leaf in your hair? Very fashion forward!"

Mindy swatted at the stowaway leaf while cringing at the collective excitement of the staff. While she could appreciate their efforts, their phony enthusiasm made her even more uncomfortable than any hypothetical scrutiny she could imagine. She put up a hand to silence the room.

"Okay, enough of that, guys," she said before getting directly to the point. "Saturday's disaster was clearly a nightmare and the worst thing I've ever done. I'm so sorry that you all had to witness that. It was embarrassing and inconsiderate not only Elliot, but to you all who took the time on your day off to support me. If any of you have any questions, feel free to ask."

"But Danny told us not to," Peter tattled bitterly. Mindy looked over to Danny, who had his hands in his pockets and gave her a hint of a smile and a tiny shrug. She returned his smile with an appreciative one of her own before addressing Peter.

"No, it's fine. It's the least I can do."

Morgan raised his hand and waited for Mindy to acknowledge him.

"Yes, Morgan?"

"Yeah, my question is actually more of a statement," he began, matter-of-factly. "I just wanted you to know that you are still welcomed to my wedding gift to you, which was a stack of ten coupons for free surprise jiu-jitsu lessons, personally administered by me. Those are yours, Dr. L."

Mindy's forehead scrunched with her confusion and she opened her mouth to ask a question, but Jeremy beat her to it.

"Surprise jiu-jitsu lessons, Morgan?" he asked. "What on Earth is that?"

"Oh, it's like regular jiu-jitsu lessons, but I've added a practical element of surprise by adding a few unplanned attacks to test out the curriculum. My neighbor started his training with me and then stopped for some crazy reason. Right after he stopped his lessons, he got mugged and stabbed in the thigh."

Betsy covered her mouth in shock. "That's awful!" she cried, her voice muffled by her hand.

"Yes, Betsy, it _is_ awful how unprepared he was. He probably should have stuck with his lessons," Morgan added, adopting the tone of someone trying very hard to sell a product. Despite his words, he appeared to look very proud of himself.

Mindy shook her head resolutely. "Nope, I don't want that, but thanks for the thought."

"You can keep my gift, too, Dr. L," Beverly added, "but I'm now realizing that the holes I cut into the top of the box may not have been big enough-"

"Okay, I'm not really concerned with the gift aspect of things right now," Mindy exclaimed with a bit of frustration.

Beverly shrugged noncommittally. "Whatever. Just don't tell animal control that you weren't warned when you come home to that horrendous smell."

After Mindy decided that she'd had more than enough, she advised them all to stop by with any non-present-related inquiries they may have had and quickly disappeared into her office. Danny entered behind her just as she sat down behind her desk.

"Welcome back," he joked with a small chuckle.

Mindy shook her head with a sad smile. "Office full of weirdos, I tell you."

Danny planted himself in the chair opposite of Mindy, adjusting his bag in an effort to get more comfortable.

"You feeling alright?" Danny asked casually, though he appeared genuinely concerned.

Mindy shrugged as she unlocked her desk top. "I mean, I still feel super shitty – a part of me wants to die, unknown in my apartment, crazy-hoarder-cat-lady style – but I'm ultimately glad that I came in today." She leaned back in her chair and exhaled, directing her attention to the ceiling. "It feels nice to not feel like I have to hide away anymore. I know it's only been three days, but it's been torture."

"I bet."

"Hey, Danny? I'm not sure what you said to the staff before I got here, but I'm sure it was somewhat threatening."

"Firm, not threatening," Danny corrected swiftly.

Mindy gave him a side-eye and a kind smile. "Well, in any case, thanks for having my back. I mean it."

With a wave of his hand, Danny replied, "Nah, don't mention it," as he stood to prepare for his exit. "You know where to find me if you need me." Just as he reached the door, he turned around and snapped his fingers while donning the expression of someone who just remembered an important detail.

"Hey, I almost forgot that it's Tuesday," he said, his tone betraying a hint of excitement. "Are we on for lunch?"

Mindy had almost forgotten about their Tuesday lunch date tradition. They had fallen into the habit almost a year ago as a way of catching up with each other. They would use that time to talk about non-work-related topics, since the entirety of her free time was consumed by Elliot. She had grown to look forward to Tuesdays a lot because of it.

Still, she knew that she needed to settle things with Elliot as soon as possible. Now that she was back at work, she wanted to continue her quick-and-painless method of getting back to life as normal, and apologizing to Elliot and gaining some closure was a major part of that. She was eager to get to it as quickly as possible.

"Actually, I'm planning on calling Elliot during lunch," Mindy revealed cautiously. Saying it out loud somehow made the idea seem like a bad one.

Danny raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Oh, wow. That's a pretty big deal. Are you sure you're ready?"

Mindy sighed and nodded. "I've gotta do it sooner than later. But can we make lunch up later in the week?'

Danny nodded. "Yeah, of course. Good luck, Min."

"Thanks, Danny."

He tapped the doorframe with his knuckles before exiting the office, leaving Mindy alone at her desk to prepare for her day and collect her strength for the call she had to make at lunch time.

The morning progressed quickly and actually helped her temporarily forget about the state of her personal life. Her patients were personable, the staff was working efficiently, and even Peter managed to entertain her without being horrendously offensive. For a while, it felt genuinely nice to be back at work.

Lunch time arrived almost stealthily and before she knew it, Betsy was closing up her station and grabbing her purse. The sight reminded Mindy of what she needed to do. Sitting at her desk, she stared at the cell phone resting next to her keyboard. It would be so easy to text him right now and continue about her day while she waited for a reply instead of having to endure his depressing tone or, possibly, his string of awful, colorful names for her. She also knew that a face-to-face apology was the least she could offer him after everything. Suddenly, she felt a sudden wave of regret for ditching Danny. This was harder than she anticipated.

With a few rapid taps of her desk, she picked up her phone and scrolled through her recent contacts list until she found Elliot's work number, not bothering to even attempt to reach him on his cell. She highlighted the number and pressed the call button before holding the phone to her ear. She said a silent prayer as the phone rang. He picked up after the fourth ring.

"Elliot Mjeckwindowksi speaking."

His flat tone tugged at her heart and it almost rendered her speechless until he repeated his greeting. She snapped out of her trance just before he had the chance to hang up.

"Elliot, it's me."

There was a silence on the other line that was so cold, it prompted her to beg, "Elliot, please don't hang up."

With a broken sigh, Elliot spoke with a considerably lower tone. "You're calling me at work, Mindy? Seriously?"

"Would you have picked up your regular phone?"

The return of the silence was all the confirmation she needed before pressing forward.

"Look, there's obviously a lot of things that we need to talk about," Mindy began. "And I know that I owe you an explanation and a serious apology." That elicited a scoff from the other line, but she ignored it so that she could finish her thought. "I was thinking that we could meet up and talk. Are you free for dinner tonight?"

"Dinner?" Elliot repeated, sounding very leery. "No, I don't think that's a good idea, Mindy."

Mindy's head lulled forward and she began pinching the bridge of her nose. "Elliot-"

"How about I just meet you at your place tonight?" Elliot interrupted. Mindy stopped her pinching and waiting for him to elaborate. "I have to return some things that you left in my apartment. We can talk then." There was a brief pause before he added. "I'm sorry, Mindy. I just don't think a big public dinner is a good idea right now."

Mindy nodded her head, despite the fact that nobody could actually see her. "No, I get it. That's fine. Come by my place at seven?"

"Yeah," he agreed. " Seven's fine. Uh, I've gotta go, Mindy I'll see you later."

"Oh!" Mindy exclaimed. "Yeah, okay! I'll see you tonight!"

Elliot disconnected the call before she could properly tell him goodbye. She was somewhat relieved as she settled her phone back on her desk. The call could have gone much worse, that much she was certain, and for that she was grateful. Now all she had to do was get through the rest of the day and prepare to face the man she had abruptly left at the alter in front of all of his family and friends.

" _Shit_ ," she hissed to her empty office. She was beginning to think she hadn't quite thought this through.


	3. Chapter 3

"Danny Castellano, we're in a fight!"

"Who's in a fight? You and I?"

"Yes."

"Hmm. That's interesting. What did I do now?"

Mindy held her phone to her ear with her right shoulder as she continued to tidy up her apartment in preparation for her visit from Elliot. She was astounded by the amount of ice cream she had gone through the previous day, as indicated by the number of empty cartons she had tossed into her trash can.

"How could you not tell me that inviting Elliot over was such a bad idea?" she hissed. "It is way too soon to be dealing with all this!"

"Mindy, _you're_ the one that decided that this was a good idea!" he stressed. "All day you've been saying things like 'just rip it off like a band-aid. Get it over with.' That was you, not me."

Mindy rolled her eyes as she picked up yet another ice cream carton. "Every twosome has an erratic one and a level-headed one, depending on the situation. In this instance, you were supposed to be the level-headed one, Danny. You were supposed to tell me to wait a little longer or, better yet, just avoid the whole thing until it blows over or goes away. Where were you, Danny? Where were you the moment I needed saving from myself?"

"You don't feel like you sound the least bit dramatic right now?" he asked her carefully. She could hear him moving around in his kitchen, the telltale sound of pots and pans being placed on his stove reverberating in her ear. "And anyway, I think you had the right idea. I mean, if you were in his shoes, don't you think you'd want to get to the bottom of things as soon as possible instead of sitting around, wondering what happened?"

She tried to think of what she would have wanted had she been in his position, but all she kept imaging was her chasing down her runaway groom and strangling him on the scene. He wouldn't have lived. She got off lucky, as far as she was concerned.

"Just remember," Danny continued. "You're apologizing for the timing, not the reasoning. All you're doing is facing him, like you should, and cluing him in."

Mindy deposited the final empty carton into her garbage, then leaned against her kitchen island in defeat. She was well aware of how right he was, just as she was aware that her attempt to cast blame on him was just a consequence of faulty nerves. She idly traced nonsensical patterns onto the counter and blew a heavy breath through her nose.

"This is the right thing to do," she said with a sigh. "You're right, Danny."

"So, the level-headed one prevailed after all?" She could almost hear his smug half-smile over the receiver.

"Try to sound less pleased with yourself," Mindy fired back just before she heard a buzz at the front door. Her heart leapt into her throat and her mouth suddenly became much drier.

"Danny, that's him. I've gotta go," she breathed quietly.

"You've got this, Mindy," he said encouragingly. "You'll be fine. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye," she mumbled before hanging up the phone. She took a steadying deep breath and walked over to the door. Mindy opened it to find her ex-fiance standing there, holding a plastic crate filled with her discarded belongings.

She's not sure how she could have forgotten how handsome he was in only three days time, but his carefully mussed dark blonde hair and entrancing hazel eyes were a swift reminder. The light stubble along his broad jaw line, obviously once carefully trimmed, was beginning to grow out under his chin and close to his neck – a new look from his usual clean shaven face – and that, along with his tired eyes, made him look utterly sad.

He gave her a tight-lipped expression and a curt nod in lieu of a proper hello. Mindy stepped aside silently and allowed him to brush past her as he entered the apartment. Elliot walked over to the kitchen island and set the crate on top, then turned to face Mindy with his hands in the pockets of his dark khakis. The expression on his face flashed nuances of both hurt and loathing, and it killed her. She didn't know if she wanted to hug him or throw him out of her apartment and just forget the whole thing.

"Do you want to sit?" Mindy offered meekly, gesturing towards the living room furniture.

Elliot shook his head. "No, I'm not staying long." His ability to maintain icy eye contact and an even tone of voice unnerved her. There was no way he was going to make this easy (not that she felt she deserved something easy at the moment).

"Okay, fine," she conceded immediately. "I'll keep it short. I cannot ever properly express to you how sorry I am. I'm so, so sorry Elliot. What I did was…"

As she struggled to find the words, Elliot eagerly supplied, "Loathsome? Selfish? Dickish? Fucking terrible?"

"Yes!" she was quick to interject. "All of that! I never meant to hurt you and trust me, I wouldn't have taken it that far had I realized what I wanted…or didn't want…earlier. It was never my intention to humiliate you. I really, really hope you believe me when I say that."

Elliot didn't respond immediately. He pulled his hands out of his pockets and crossed his arms over his chest. The move made his biceps bulge against his long sleeve knitted shirt and his shoulders look a little broader. As he stood eight inches taller than her, the stance was quite intimidating. He kept that position for a few silent moments while maintaining his stare.

"El…" she called to him cautiously.

"You could have come to me at any time and told me that you didn't want to get married," Elliot finally spoke in a low, seething tone. "You could have told me, literally, just before I stood next to the priest and waited for you and that, while still dickish, would have been a lot better than what you did to me."

"I know," Mindy replied pathetically.

"Oh, you do?" Elliot began to raise his voice. "Then why on Earth would you choose to bolt as you're walking down the aisle, Mindy? Why would you choose to humiliate me in front of everyone we know?"

Mindy shut her eyes and attempted to calmly defend herself against his accusations. "I didn't… _choose_ to humiliate you, okay? I just accepted certain realizations much later than I should have and I'm truly, _truly_ sorry for that. If I could take it back –"

"What realizations?"

The question caught Mindy off-guard. "Huh?"

Elliot stood a little straighter and took half a step forward with a look of intense interest. "What realizations did you suddenly have to accept?"

It was something that she should have been prepared to answer, considering that she had rehearsed this conversation in her head over and over again since lunchtime. Standing in front of him now, though, as he looked so angry and wounded, made her previous explanations of 'I realized that we were too different' or 'Your family didn't care for me' seem flimsy, even if they were a part of the overall issue. She wished she had more time to brainstorm something more satisfying, but he was expecting an answer in that moment and after everything that had happened, he'd more than deserved one.

On the spot, Mindy opted to voice the things she didn't dare tell anyone else, the things she intentionally kept to herself to avoid the obligatory concern and questioning of her choice to get married. There really wasn't a point to holding back any longer.

"As I walked towards you," Mindy spoke in a low, but steady voice, "I realized that I wasn't about to build a life with you, I was about to be molded and fitted into the life you've already established for yourself."

The admission caused the Elliot to snap his head back in surprise and narrow his eyes in confusion. It also took Mindy by surprise, actually hearing herself say it out loud for the first time, but finally saying it also bolstered her resolve regarding the ordeal. She continued a little more confidently.

"You know, I'm used to people – men in particular – not necessarily enjoying the same music and movies that I do or having the same political views or priorities. Having differing outlooks never bothered me, but with you…I always felt like you were grooming me to be something entirely different, and considering how much I _talked_ to you about Casey," she emphasized, referencing the boyfriend prior to Elliot, "and how much he tried to do that to me, I would have expected you to be a little more considerate and accepting. Instead I felt like you were always trying to redirect me, or stop me from being myself. For instance, the time you went through my phone and deleted all of the alerts I had set up for myself to let me know when the Miley Cyrus tickets were going on sale."

At that, Elliot released his hands and ran one through his hair with exasperation while the other grabbed the edge of the counter behind him. This incident lead to one of the biggest fights they had ever had and he still wasn't totally convinced that he was in the wrong. "I did that so that you wouldn't be a grown woman in her thirties at a damn _Miley Cyrus_ concert!"

"And that's it, right there!" Mindy shouted while pointing at him. "That judgment! You applied that kind of judgment to almost everything I did! I mean, make fun of my love for Miley, fine! I'm a grown woman, like you kindly pointed out, and I can dish it just as good as I can take it. But don't block me from the things I love in hopes that it will turn me into a different kind of person! And the crappy thing is that you were never just _outright_ with it, you were never overtly an asshole about it. At least then I would have been able to defend myself against it. No, it was these little comments or suggestions that you would make that wouldn't even offend me until I sat down and really thought about it. You never like the first thing I put on whenever we would go out on dates-"

"Oh, you mean those tight, low-cut dresses you always wanted to wear?" Elliot challenged.

"The same dresses that happened to catch _your_ attention?" Mindy fired back with eyes reduced to narrow slits. "Yeah, honey, those. And don't get me started on how much I had to be coached before going to visit your family! Don't wear these colors, don't give your opinion on that issue, 'Oh here, Mindy, just pretend that you're really into classical music and Bill O'Reilly!'"

"Okay, that's not fair, Mindy! Every person adjusts themselves a little when they're around their significant other's family!" Elliot pushed himself off of the counter and prepared to argue back. "Besides, it's not like your family really cared for me, either!"

Mindy couldn't help but laugh at him while her blood boiled. "You're absolutely right," she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "My family didn't really warm up to you the _one time_ you met them before the wedding and that was mainly because you were so distant and on your phone a good portion of the day that they didn't really get the chance to know you better. And that one time versus the countless times I've seen _your_ family and hung out with _your_ friends and ate dinners with _your_ co-workers proves my fucking point: you never seemed to take any sort of invested interest in me or the things I love! It was always about making you comfortable and doing the things that you liked, no matter how much I pleaded with you to loosen up and try new things with me or at least try something that I enjoyed! And God, if you ever broke down and actually did something that meant something to me, like going to my office's Christmas party – which I can't even count now because you obviously had an ulterior motive there – then you would hold it over my head like some huge favor that I would have to pay you back for, instead of an opportunity to just make me happy!"

The ceasing of Mindy's shouting left a thick silence between them. Elliot's mouth was clamped shut and his expression was reflective, like he was trying to decide whether to be insulted or ashamed. When he didn't reply with any sort of defense, Mindy walked past him to the counter and placed her hands on the crate.

"Do you know what's really sad, Elliot?" Mindy asked softly. Her voice was already beginning to feel sore from all the prior yelling. She waited for him to turn towards her. "Look at all this stuff that you had to get from your place – and, by the way, I know there's more than this, but still – look at it. Do you know how much of your stuff is here?"

Elliot didn't answer, but she knew that he knew exactly how to answer that. She answered for him.

"Not a thing," she added. "You've only ever been here twice and both times you were gone before sunrise. How ridiculous is that? Why did you ask me to marry you if you felt like there was so much you had to change?"

Elliot gave a careless shrug. "I loved you, Mindy. I thought finding the person that you love meant helping each other change for the better."

"You influence change in someone out of love and benevolence, Elliot, not convenience," she responded tiredly. "And you do understand that you just implied that I needed to change the things that essentially make me the person I am in order to change 'for the better,' don't you? That doesn't ring as offensive at all?"

She was unsure as to whether or not anything she was saying was actually sinking in. Elliot was such a stubborn man and while she was used to going up against stubborn men, this was altogether different.

"I want someone who challenges me, but also stands beside me and has my back," Mindy said, her voice shakier than she had anticipated. "I want someone who genuinely likes the person I am, even if that includes poking fun at some of the things that I enjoy. I deserve someone who's going to get that I am a person that exists outside of 'So-and-so's Fiancé.' Getting married to you meant that I would become 'Elliot Mjeckwindowski's Wife' and that's it. I would have been fine – even proud- to be that some of the time, but I don't want to lose Mindy in the process."

Mindy felt like there was nothing more to say. She didn't know what to expect from Elliot, but she waited patiently as he stared at a spot on the floor. After what felt like an eternity, Elliot finally uttered. "Wow." He shifted around a little more before eventually patting the crate with a certain finality. "Yeah, um…I better get going."

"That's it?!" Mindy cried, realizing that while she didn't quite know what she wanted him to say, an apology would have been an acceptable start.

"I don't know, Mindy," Elliot admitted with frustration. "That's a lot to process! Look, I'm sorry that you felt that way, I really am, but I'm also having to work through a lot of anger towards you right now. I just need time, okay?"

Mindy let out a laugh that mingled with a sob that threatened to escape her. The disappointment she felt after having none of what she revealed tonight acknowledged at all sat heavy on her chest. She suddenly wanted him gone so that she could be left alone to cry and scream and search for more ice cream, and she wasn't about to do any of that in front of him. "Yeah, Elliot, whatever."

He stared at her for a moment and with a slow, reluctant nod he turned towards the front door. He had made it a couple steps when Mindy noticed a blue folder sitting on top of her things.

"Elliot, what's this?" she asked, picking up the folder. She hoped that it wasn't bills for the various wedding expenses because she had absolutely no strength to deal with that.

"Oh, yeah, that's the, uh…"

She opened the folder and immediately saw two plane tickets and a colorful brochure for a cozy bed and breakfast. There were printed receipts and a stack of vouchers, the topmost voucher appearing to be for something called the Ghost Tours of Key West. Even though Elliot never answered her, Mindy immediately understood.

"Why are you giving this to me?" she asked in awe.

With another shrug he replied, "It's Key West. I've been more times than I can count, a lot of that stuff isn't transferable, and I can't seem to unload it on anyone with the short notice."

"Okay, then why don't you go with your brother or something?"

"Mindy, I'm not about to go make some weird vacation out of what was supposed to be my honeymoon, alright?" he answered defiantly. "I'm not nearly that callous!"

"Oh, and I am?!" How, Mindy thought, could someone lack so much forethought when it came to the things they say? She despised the feeling of being repeatedly offended in her own home.

Elliot took a deep breath and exhaled. "That's not what I meant," he continued, returning to the even voice he had at the top of the visit. "I'm just eager to get it out of my apartment. Whether you go-"

"There's no way I'm going on that damn trip," Mindy quickly shot down.

"- or give it away," he continued without acknowledgment, "I don't care. I just can't have it at my place anymore."

Running a finger over the glossy brochure in the back of the folder, she almost missed Elliot making his exit. She suddenly remembered one final thing.

"Elliot, wait!" She put down the folder and rushed to follow him, sticking her hand in her skirt pocket. When he turned around, she was holding up the ornate engagement ring. He looked as if he was about to shatter for a moment, but quickly shook it off, took the ring, and exited the apartment without saying goodbye. Feeling completely drained, she closed the door and slid against it, finally letting the tears cascade down her cheek. Whether they were tears of relief or sorrow, she wasn't too sure.

* * *

After he put the finishing touches on his stir fry, Danny placed the large lid over his wok and allowed the vegetables to simmer a little longer. He yanked the kitchen towel that was slung over his shoulder and wiped his hands as he turned to look at the clock on the stove. 7:42. His mind involuntarily wandered to thoughts of Mindy as he wondered how the meeting with her ex was going. Were they yelling? Was he making her feel awful? Maybe they were reconciling? He hoped not, but it was still a possibility.

He pulled a beer from the fridge and quickly divested it of its cap, taking a slow sip as he cleaned up any leftover mess. Peering into the clear lid, he glanced at the abundance of simmering chicken and vegetables. He really had a bad habit of making too much food at once, something that he always attributed to his Italian roots. _Plenty of leftovers, I guess_ , he thought to himself. He placed the beer down in order to give the food a quick stir when he heard his phone beep with an incoming message. Danny quickly located the phone and saw a text from Mindy.

**From: Mindy**

**Can you please drive me to the nearest bridge?**

**Apr 15, 7:48 p.m.**

Though he didn't enjoy her anguish, he couldn't help but smirk at her flair for the dramatics. He assumed that this was her way of saying that the visit hadn't gone well.

He decided to call her rather than text her back, feeling like she may have needed to talk to someone. He quickly pushed the call button twice and waited for her ringback tone. The wait music didn't last long, for she answered her phone quickly.

"Hey," she muttered unenthusiastically. He could hear her sniffling over the receiver.

"So it didn't go well?" he asked gently, diving right into the heart of the matter.

She sniffled again. "It was pretty heavy. Worst of all, I feel like he didn't get any of it. At least I feel a little better about not marrying the guy; I can forgive myself much quicker now."

Danny sighed, not knowing what to say. He turned towards he stove. "Hey, Min, I made that chicken stir fry you like. Why don't you come over and have some dinner with me? Then you can tell me all about it."

The sound of Mindy blowing her nose rang in his ear. He found it to be a combination of gross and cute.

"That's sweet of you, Danny," she replied, her voice still thick. "I'll bring the wines."

"Mindy, did you say _wines_ , as in plural?"

"Uh, huh," she answered plainly. "It's been a tough night, my friend."

Danny chuckled warmly. "Alright, bring your wines. I'll be waiting."


	4. Chapter 4

"What do you mean 'banned'?" Mindy probed incredulously.

"I'm pretty sure you know what 'banned' means, Mindy," Peter joked as he handed the folder back to her, which she snatched from him.

"So, you're telling me that you're banned from the _entirety_ of Key West? All of it."

"Mmm hmm." He appeared to be brimming with pride by the fact. "Big time."

"Okaaaay, how is that even possible?"

Peter rolled his eyes dramatically. "Oh, no, Mindy, I can't. The story is epic…literally, it is an epic. It starts _in medias res_ , there are tragic heroes, a muse, a theoretical decent into hell…there's no way I'm going to sully this story by truncating it to fit your crappy attention span."

Feeling irritated, she chose to walk away – not before hitting Peter over the head with the folder – and headed to Jeremy's office. She had tried all morning to give the trip away, only to be met with excuse after excuse as to why each person could not take it, each excuse more interesting and colorful than the one before. How was it this hard to give away a free trip to Florida, especially to one of the biggest party cities in the world? This should have been a cake walk, as far as she was concerned.

She made it to Jeremy's office and gave the door a light knock. She heard his muffled acknowledgment and let herself in.

"Jeremy, Jeremy, Jeremy," she began airily. "Do I have an awesome surprise for you!"

He barely looked up from his paperwork as he grunted his encouragement for her to continue.

"In this folder," she held up and used her free hand to gesture gallantly, as if it were part of a game show showcase, "is a fun-filled, paid-for 7-day trip for two to Key West, courtesy of me! It comes with a stay at a gorgeous bed and breakfast, there are a bunch of activities, and a very detailed itinerary. I know, I know, it's pretty effin' perfect right?"

Jeremy looked up from his work in order to gage whether or not Mindy was serious. When she remained there, holding the folder open with a plastic-like smile plastered on her face, he adopted a look of dawning comprehension, then pitying concern.

"Oh, Mindy," he sighed as he stood up and made his way to the front of his desk. He leaned against it and clasped his hands together in front of him. "I know this incident with Elliot must be so tough to face alone and I can understand why falling back on… _old comforts_ ," at that, he raised his eyebrows carefully in hopes that she understood his meaning, "might _appear_ to be a good way to get through the loneliness. However, I assure you, it would be a bad idea for us to rekindle any sort of –"

Horrified by the implication, Mindy jumped in and exclaimed. "Eew! Screw you, guy, that is **not** what I meant! God, Jeremy, what is _wrong_ with you?"

"Mindy, it sounded like you were inviting me –"

"-inviting you to take this trip off of my hands? Yeah, that's definitely what I was doing!" she rushed to correct. "I want you to have this trip to enjoy with one of your weird skanks with misplaced father issues."

Jeremy grimaced at Mindy's crudeness, but decided not to bother addressing it. He shook his head. "No, I'm afraid I'll pass."

"You'll pass?!" Mindy groaned. "What is going on with everyone?! Jeremy, who are you to pass on a dream vacation in Florida?!"

He shrugged, unbothered. "Florida's crime is a bit too mad cap for me. Plus, my skin would never sustain the harsh Florida sun. I'd roast like a Christmas chicken."

Mindy found the nearest chair and flopped in it, slumping forward until she was propping her head up with her hands. "Why is this so impossible? I just feel like getting rid of this is the last step in finally getting some closure on this whole thing. I don't want to suddenly feel guilty about this trip going to waste, like my relationship."

"And Elliot can't help you out because…"

"…because he made it very clear last night that he needs his space from me and that this is now my problem."

Jeremy crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, Mindy, why don't _you_ go on the trip?"

Mindy looked up at him in bewilderment, as if he had grown a second head. _How is this fool a doctor_ , she asked internally. "Jeremy, do you honestly think I'm about to go on my _honeymoon_?"

"Well, I think in order for it to be a honeymoon, one would have to have a newlywed to enjoy it with," Jeremy said, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "And since you don't have anything of the sort, this could just be a regular vacation for you. You already have your patients covered –"

"The notion is mortifying!"

Jeremy rolled his eyes and groaned. "Mindy, it doesn't have to be mortifying! Look, don't think of it as a honeymoon. Think of it as a journey for self-exploration, like a celebration of your freedom from that handsome, yet off-putting man and a way to find Mindy again. You could use the time off, honestly."

Mindy didn't know whether to be comforted or offended by the assertion, so she just glared at Jeremy curiously. "What do you mean I could 'use the time off'? I was just out of the office two days ago."

"And did you use that day to mend and reflect or did you wallow in self pity and eat an obscene amount of ice cream?" Jeremy asked with a knowing smirk.

Mindy mumbled "The amount wasn't obscene," then slumped back into the chair.

"I just think this would be a good opportunity to celebrate your newfound single status and rediscover exactly what makes you great. Or, you can take a friend with you and use the trip as an excuse to day drink. Either way, your patients will be taken care of and you would benefit from some time away. Just think about it and let me know what you decide, okay?"

Mindy nodded absent-mindedly while mulling over everything Jeremy had said. "Thanks, Jeremy. I'll think it over." They both stood up, Jeremy resuming his position behind the desk and Mindy heading out the door. She clutched the folder to her chest as she made her way to her office. This was a lot to think about.

* * *

The rest of the day dragged on with a slow stream of patients and generic office happenings. As the day neared its close, Danny came to Mindy's office door. He opened it partially and peaked his head in to find Mindy typing rapidly on her computer.

"Hey, I just wanted to thank you for your help on that consultation earlier," he said, causing her to look up with a weary smile.

"Of course, Danny," she replied kindly. "You so rarely ask for help, I had to see the case that stumped you for myself."

"Ha ha, very funny," Danny countered derisively. He was about to tease her back when he noticed the familiar folder sitting at the edge of her desk. He entered the office and closed the door behind him. "No luck getting rid of the trip?"

Mindy huffed, then turned to him fully. "None. Can you believe it? Just last month, Morgan was ready to fight me – actually fight me, like, bare knuckles an all – for my leftover pizza crust that I was about to toss out. I tried giving him a trip to Florida and he passed it up because he has 'a good lead on some incoming lobsters,' which I pray to God is a euphemism of some sort."

Danny snorted as he took a seat in the nearest chair. "So what's the plan, then? What's gonna happen with the trip?"

Mindy sighed and leaned back into her chair. She began toying idly with one of her pens. "Well, Jeremy is under the impression that I could use a vacation. He thinks I should still go." The way she spoke gave Danny the impression that she no longer found the idea preposterous. She looked over at him guardedly. "Do you think that's silly?"

Danny shook his head. "Nah, I don't think it is. You _should_ go! It'll give you time to reset, enjoy this new phase of your life, get a change of scenery for a little while…it could be great. Maybe one of your friends could go with you, be your partner in crime while you're there."

Mindy twisted her mouth to the side as she thought about the possibilities. "And it's not weird that this was supposed to be my honeymoon?"

"Well…yeah, it's a little weird," Danny admitted with a laugh. "But you do weird stuff all the time, so who cares? Nobody else has to know that it was your honeymoon and, hopefully, you'll be having such a good time that you'll totally forget. That would be the idea, right?"

He could see Mindy really thinking about it now. Danny guessed that she was imagining herself on a beach, drinking a cocktail out of a hallowed out pineapple with a tiny umbrella clinging to the edge while she wore a comically floppy hat. Whatever the imaged was, it appeared to help her warm up to the idea. She eyed the infamous folder. "I should just do it, right?"

Danny gave her a little grin. "I think it would be good for you."

"Yeah. I've never been to Key West."

"See? A new experience! That's good, right?"

"I should go!" Mindy perked up suddenly, sitting upright in her chair. "It would be fun, especially if I had a really good friend with me!"

"That's the spirit, Mindy. Now you're getting the right idea."

"So you'll come, then?"

Danny was momentarily stunned by this conclusion, which seemed to have materialized almost out of thin air. "Uhhh," he stalled. "I'm sorry, how did we arrive to that assumption?"

Mindy threw up her hands helplessly, as if she couldn't understand the confusion. "Hey, you were the on that said I should bring a good friend!"

"Yeah, but I meant like Gwen or Alex, or that other one!"

"Gwen would never leave Carl and Riley for a week, Alex would ditch me at every turn for hot man ass, and Maggie is an alarmingly angry drunk," Mindy argued, ticking off every point with her fingers.

Danny blew out a nervous breath. "Okay, well maybe you can go by yourself! You can go on one of those self-discovery adventures, kind of like – uh, what's it called? – Eat, Be Nice, Go to Church, or whatever."

Mindy narrowed her eyes questioningly. "Okay, I'm guessing that you're referring to Eat, Pray, Love and if you are, shame on you, as I've talked to you about it, like, a hundred times. And furthermore, why do all the men in this office assume that I need to go on some convoluted trip to discover myself?" she asked indignantly. "I know who the hell I am, I don't need to discover myself. I just want to get out of the city and drink a lot! And I'd like you there with me!"

He blew another heavy breath. The idea of him accompanying her on a trip for an entire week seemed like a bad one. His hesitancy was hard for him to place, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something like this, a non-business trip, just wouldn't work. You learn so much more about a person when you travel with them, and most of the time that leads to drama. Plus, it was now Wednesday and the trip was set for the following Monday. That was barely enough time to prepare.

"You can go pretty easily; you've already taken care of the necessary prep," he said, his tone coming across as apologetic for reasons unbeknownst to him. "I have patients to see, people who depend on me to be here."

"Oh, come on, Danny," Mindy exclaimed with a roll of her eyes. "Please don't give me that. You know you can reschedule your appointments and Peter would not mind covering for you, I'm sure of it. It's only a week! Besides, when was the last time you took even a day off? You're long overdue for some time away."

"Even still," Danny pressed as he stood from his seat, "I can't this time, Mindy. I'm really sorry."

Mindy's face crumpled into an expression of annoyance, which was an expression Danny hated. "Yeah, yeah, Castellano, whatever."

With a deep sigh, Danny made his way to the door. He turned around and asked hopefully, "Are we still on for lunch tomorrow?"

Mindy kept her bothered expression when she answered, "Yes, but as a consequence of disappointing me, you're paying."

Danny emitted a short chuckled and nodded his head. "Okay, deal."

* * *

Now, sitting on the bed and staring at the muted television, he felt a little bad.

Even if he did feel like going on a trip with Mindy were a bad idea, maybe he shouldn't have been so emphatically against it. Maybe he should have taken a little more time to think about it? His rejection probably came across as him simply not wanting to go, which was far from the case. It really was just about timing and not wanting to cause her any more stress than she'd already been through up to that point…he was pretty sure, anyway.

In all honestly, he was flattered that she felt that their friendship had reached a place where he would even be considered as a serious travel companion. They had strayed so far from their original antagonizing relationship, and that fact made him happier than she could ever comprehend. Danny never told Mindy how much he attributed his improving attitude and the ebb of his daily stress to his friendship with her, mainly because he never figured out a suitable way to bring the topic up. There weren't many opportunities within their day-to-day interactions that would allow for such a heavy admission as 'your friendship means a lot to me.' It did, though, and he would do just about anything for her as repayment for the happiness she's introduced to him.

 _Accept go with her on an amazing trip, apparently_ , he chastised internally. He suddenly wanted to punch himself. He knew his excuses had been fairly weak, and so did she. Getting someone to cover him for a week would have been doable. While it was short notice, there was time to sort matters out before he left. Sure, drama – fights and uncomfortable drunk moments and all that - was a possibility, but so were a lot of things, like fun and relaxation and bonding. In fact, during the prior week, after he had slept in the on-call room at the hospital for the third night in a row, he had complained more than once about his need of a vacation. Now it was handed to him on a silver platter and he was running from it because he was afraid of _fighting with her_ while they were away? Danny couldn't think of a time when he'd felt more foolish.

Plus…he'd miss her. She'd be gone for a whole week and he'd miss her terribly, especially if he stayed behind with the knowledge that he had the opportunity to go with her. The time that they spent together was pretty scarce whenever she was in a serious relationship, and a long trip like this would more than make up for all of that lost time. He doesn't understand why or how this should logically play any part in his decision, but it does.

He needed a vacation. And she needed him. They were reasons that he should have arrived to hours ago.

Chancing the possibility that she was still awake, Danny quickly grabbed his phone and called Mindy. Always one to be near her phone, she answered quickly.

"Danny?" she called out. "You're not asleep?"

"I was about to go to sleep, but I was thinking," Danny began tentatively. "This Key West trip…going by yourself would be pretty dangerous, come to think of it."

There was a pause before Mindy replied, "It would be, you're right." Her voice sounded hopeful, which encouraged him to continue.

"And if you don't feel like any of your other friends would be up to the task, then technically it would be my duty to make sure you're safe."

He could hear Mindy holding back a giggle, which coaxed an upward tug of the right corner of his mouth. "Technically, Danny."

"Okay," he replied while nodding to himself. "So it's settled. I'm going…for your own good."

This time Mindy didn't bother to hold back her laughter. He could tell that her giddiness stemmed from her happiness with his decision to go and not her laughing at him. Either way, it was nice to hear her laugh.

"Oh, Danny," she said breathlessly. "My hero."


	5. Chapter 5

Mindy and Danny agreed that their trip from LaGuardia to Key West International Airport was an uncharacteristically seamless one. Even with a brief layover, everything seemed to remain on schedule (something that neither of them had experienced during their many travels). Their flight was devoid of any awkward travelers, they effortlessly reunited with their luggage, and the wait for the shuttle to their bed and breakfast was a notably short one. Danny read all of this as a bad sign as they rode through the island.

"There's no way we're about to make it through the whole day without something going wrong," Danny predicted with an air of confidence. There wasn't any anxiety in his voice, just certainty that their fortune could not be this good. "Watch us get to the B & B and there be no reservation."

Mindy turned from her window to look at Danny in amazement. "I can't believe you are choosing to overlook all of this beauty in order to be such grump. Look at all this," she implored as she returned her gaze to the view outside her shuttle window. "Palm trees, flowers, ridiculously clear water, no insane traffic…I mean, I love the city, but this is all so gorgeous. And we get to explore it all for seven days! How amazing is that?"

Danny smiled fondly at Mindy's enthusiasm, then obliged her and looked out of his window. New York was colorful, but the little bit of Key West he viewed whizzing by was vibrant. The air smelled delicious, the trees looked like they were dancing and, the most beautiful thing of all, nobody seemed like they were in a rush to be anywhere. The people he saw may have just been walking up and down the sidewalk, but their easy-going nature (or the simple fact that they were walking at a leisurely pace and, in some cases, actually smiling) was something to behold.

"Yeah, it's pretty amazing," Danny agreed wistfully. He turned to Mindy and nudged her gently with his shoulder in order to get her attention. "And I promise I'm going to set my grumpiness aside during this trip. I'm going to try to mimic your blinding optimism and just have a really great time with you."

Mindy rewarded him with a brilliant grin and gave him a quick pat on his knee. "I'd really like that. I can't wait to see Relaxed Danny. What's he like? Does he wear Tommy Bahama shirts?"

"No, never. I packed a lot of t-shirts, though, for your benefit."

"Careful, I don't think there's quite enough room in this van for that monster ego of yours," she countered dryly. Danny laughed as he looked out of the windshield. The van appeared to be slowing down as it approached a large cornflower blue house with a side gravel lot. A shiny metal sign pierced a perfectly manicured lawn and while he couldn't read it, he was sure that it read "Amelia Inn," their home for the next seven days.

"Min, I think we're here," he informed her in a low tone.

"That's it!" Mindy confirmed. "Wow, it looks even better than it does on the brochure! It's going to be so weird not staying in the usual hotel or resort. I can't wait to see the room!"

Mindy's mention of the room ushered in a mild panic in Danny. They never discussed the sleeping arrangement and, considering the original intent of the room, he was sure there was only one bed. He couldn't imagine that the rooms in this house were large enough to fit a cot and a king-size bed like a hotel suite would. _This might be problematic_ , he thought. He looked at Mindy to see if she had arrived at same realization, but he found her readying her phone to snap a picture as they bumpily pulled into the gravel lot.

"Alright, we're here," the kind, portly driver announced. "I hope you two enjoy your stay!"

"Thank you, sir!" Mindy chirped as she unbuckled her seatbelt and pulled the latch on the door.

"I'll grab the luggage," Danny volunteered as he freed himself from his own seatbelt.

"Thanks!" Mindy replied as she rummaged through her woven tote bag and pulled out her wallet. She pulled out a five dollar bill and handed it to the driver. "Here you go."

The man took the bill graciously. "Thank you both! Please tell Collette that Griffin says hi!"

"I will!" Mindy promised. She gave a quick nod of her head and headed to the back of the vehicle as Danny pulled out the last of their luggage.

"I've gotta say, Mindy, I'm impressed that you only brought two bags."

Mindy gave him a sly smile. "Well, technically there are four bags. I've packed two empty bags to carry all the stuff that I buy while I'm here."

"Of course," he said with a chuckle, shutting the back hatch. He patted the back of the van purposefully and Griffin recognized it as a sign that he was free to leave, pulling slowly out of the lot and back into the street. Mindy pointed at the small sign that said "Check In" with an arrow underneath, directing them to the far right side of the house. Danny grabbed two of the three suitcases, leaving Mindy to grab her smallest rolling bag before leading them both to the other side of the house. As they got closer, Danny noticed a door leading to office that was clearly not a part of the original structure, but later added. From where he was positioned, he could tell that there was far more to the property than what the facade lead passersby to believe.

Mindy opened the door to find a modest office with a large mahogany desk. Seated there was an older woman who had long, wavy red hair with a shock of gray in the very front. She looked comfortable in a light blue t-shirt with the Amelia Inn emblem at the top right. The woman looked up from her computer screen and gently smiled at them, her crystal blue eyes sparkling in the flood of sunlight that entered with the opening door.

"Welcome to the Amelia Inn!" She greeted. "How can I help you?"

"Hi," Mindy responded brightly. "We're checking in. We should be in the Hibiscus Room."

The woman immediately perked with understanding. "Yes, you must be the newlyweds! We've been expecting you. Congratulations!"

The uneasy expression on Mindy's face let Danny know that she had not expected such a personalized greeting. Mindy began to sputter "Oh, uh-no, not-"

"And _you_ must be Elliot," the woman guessed as she peered around Mindy to talk to Danny. "We spoke a couple of weeks ago. My God, you're handsome!"

Danny grimaced, feeling bad for both Mindy and the oblivious woman. "Well, thanks, but I'm not Elliot."

"My husband's not here," Mindy jumped in. "Actually, I don't have a husband. I'm, uh, not married. This," she tried to lighten up as she pointed to her companion, "is my friend, Danny."

The woman looked confusedly back and forth between the two, trying to understand what was happening. "Oh?" Her face then eased into an expression of sudden understanding. " _Oooooh_. Okay, now I get it."

Knowing the conclusion she had arrived to, Danny quickly shook his head. "No, no, nothing like that. We work together –"

"A workplace affair?" the woman gasped. "That's how it always starts."

" **No** , not an affair!" Mindy denied indignantly. "I simply did not get married, but Elliot was kind enough to allow me to keep the trip. I believe he may have called and spoke with someone about adjusting the reservation."

The woman immediately returned to her computer and started clicking her mouse. After a few moments, she pointed at the screen and shook her head. "Yes, here's the message. Mindy Lahiri, is it?"

Mindy nodded and the woman began typing away and without removing her focus from the screen, she added, "I'm so sorry. The desk clerk that works on Thursdays didn't pass along the message, that idiot."

"No, it's okay," Danny assured her. "In fact, I was wondering if you had a room available. I'd like to book it for the week, if possible."

Mindy turned around with a look of concern. "Danny, you don't have to do that! I didn't invite you here just so you'd have to spend a fortune."

"It's no big deal, Min," Danny replied in a low voice. "It'll be fine. I want us both to be comfortable."

"We actually have the Ophelia Room available," the woman interjected excitedly. "It's right next door to the Hibiscus Room and it also has a king-size bed."

"I'll take it." Danny pulled the wallet out of his back pocket and immediately removed his ID and credit card. The woman took it and checked him in quickly.

"You're all set, Mr. Castellano," she confirmed as she handed his cards back, along with a printed receipt. She turned around and opened a box mounted on the wall just behind her, pulling out two sets of keys before closing it. "I'd like to take you both to your rooms, but uh..." She trailed off and looked to Mindy. "Maybe you should wait a moment while I fix your room, Miss Lahiri. I think I'm going to need to make a few adjustments."

"Oh, please call me Mindy," Mindy pleaded with her. "And we're pretty tired, I think. If it's all the same to you, I'm sure I can deal with the room as it is now."

The woman raised her eyebrows helplessly, and simply stepped from around her desk and headed towards the door. "Well, alright. Please, let me take you to your rooms. My name is Collette."

Mindy's face broke into a smile and she gave the woman a little point. "Oh, you're Collette! Griffin told me to tell you hello!"

Collette turned around and looked to Mindy with hopeful eyes. "He did, did he?"

Mindy nodded and the woman blushed. There was a sudden smile on her face that she was trying very hard to contain. "That was certainly thoughtful of him."

She turned back around and grabbed the set of keys dangling on the hook next to the door and exited the office. Mindy turned to Danny, her mouth agape.

"Oh, Collette and the driver are totally banging," she whispered frantically. "Or Collette wants to bang him!

"That's none of our business, Min," Danny whispered back. "Now follow the nice lady."

They tailed Collette as she lead them outside of the office and into the main house. The floor and main wrapping staircase were of the same dark wood as the office desk. Danny noted the smell of lemon wood cleaner and immediately felt at ease. He could tell from just the entryway that the staff took great pride in this house. Collette continued casually up the steps as she informed Mindy of the different amenities.

"We serve a continental breakfast from six a.m. until nine a.m. in the front office. You may have noticed the large table across from the check-in desk; it becomes a buffet table in the mornings. Around the corner from the office there is a small, fully stocked bar in the garden. We have Happy Hour every day from four until five, free for all of our guests. If you're quick, you can catch the last fifteen minutes of it once you drop your stuff off. And, of course, there is the pool and hot tub in the back."

They reached the top of the steps where there were four doors with golden placards on them, bearing the names of each room. The Hibiscus Room was closest to the stairs on the right while the Ophelia Room , as Collette promised, was right next door.

"Okay, dear," Collette turned to Mindy. "We've arrived to your room first. Just…let me get in there before you settle in."

Without waiting for Mindy's affirmation, she keyed into the room and rushed inside. Mindy and Danny followed to find Collette scrambling around the bed, quickly gathering rose petals that had been strewn about the comforter. There were a pair of towels that had been folded into the shape of intertwining hearts in the middle of the flowery chaos, along with a clear covered container of chocolate-covered strawberries and a chilled bottle of wine on the neighboring night stand. Aside from the romantic décor obviously meant for a honeymoon, Danny found the room to be very nice: a plush rose-colored comforter on a large post bed, whicker furniture, a mahogany entertainment center, and a large sliding glass door that lead to a white balcony. From where he was standing it looked like she had a view of the pool.

"I am _so sorry_ ," Collette apologized sheepishly. Danny could feel the laughter bubbling in his chest and made an attempt to hide it by coughing. Mindy looked a little sickened by the sight.

"I will make sure to get everything out of here in a jiffy," Collette promised, stuffing the pedals down her shirt and reaching for the bucket of wine.

"No, leave the chocolates and wine," Mindy instructed her quickly. "In fact, if you have another bottle around here, go ahead and send it up."

Collette nodded and Danny offered to help her with the pedals as he took the handful that was in her clutches.

"Bless you," she sighed, still holding her shirt to her chest in order to prevent those pedals from escaping. "Now, Mindy, there is a directory by the phone, free wifi internet, and a list of contacts in case of a maintenance emergency or any other issues that may occur after the office closes. I've put your keys on the nightstand. The little brass key is for the main door and the copper-colored key is for your room. Please do not hesitate to call if you need anything."

Mindy smiled and gave a short nod. "Thanks, Collette, I will."

The woman smiled graciously, then turned to Danny. "Okay, your turn, handsome."

Danny dropped off the suitcase of Mindy's he had been carrying and quickly asked her, "So, what's the plan?"

Mindy set her suitcase down and began removing her jean jacket. "Well, I was thinking we could take some time to nap and decompress, then you can meet me in my room at seven and we can head to dinner? There's this seafood restaurant that Elliot wouldn't shut up about and now I'm too curious. It's supposed to be fairly close to here."

"Okay," Danny agreed and started heading towards his room. "I'll be here at seven, so don't take forever on your 'eyescaping,' or whatever you call it."

"Stop judging me," Mindy commanded as she shut her door.

* * *

Mindy took a final look in the full length mirror next to the TV. She was amused by her choice to wear lavender floral cocktail length dress with long sleeves. It was the same dress she had worn for a party months ago and Danny had mentioned in passing how much he liked it. The compliment really stuck with her because if there was one thing that Mindy had learned over the years of knowing him, it was that Danny Castellano did not hand out compliments unless he truly meant them. She wondered if he would remember it.

There was a knock on the door right at seven o' clock, which came as no surprise. She took a parting glance at her side fishtail braid before quickly making her way to the door and opening it to find Danny, clad in crisp, dark blue jeans and a plain grey crewneck sweater. His eyes immediately took her in and one corner of his mouth lifted in a half smile. He pointed. "The dress!"

"You remember!" Mindy said with a smile. She grabbed the purse hanging from the nearby closet.

"So, did you wear that for me?" Danny asked as his eyebrows playfully wiggled up and down.

"Oh, please gag me!" Mindy forcefully turned him around as he laughed. She smiled at her friend as they descended down the stairs. Danny's arrogance in anybody else would bother her greatly. In him, though, she found that she didn't mind it quite as much.

* * *

While she hated to admit that Elliot had been right, The Crystal Seahorse was an enchanting establishment. The décor was elegant, the lighting was intimate, and the food was absolute perfection. All of that paired with the hospitality of the Key West locals made the entire experience something the Mindy would commit to her memory for a long time.

The evening was one of the best she'd had in a long time. Her and Danny drained a bottle of wine, ate delicious food, and talked without any lulls in conversation, unless they were eating. The talked about the practice, Staten Island, Rishi's latest struggles with med school, their favorite TV shows, and even speculated on the history between Collette and Griffin. There had been a lot of laughing, which Mindy realized she hadn't done in quite some time.

Mindy spotted a couple in the far right corner of the restaurant canoodling over a forgotten dessert. It was clear that they were on their honeymoon or celebrating a very important anniversary, as they could not keep their hands off of each other. Mindy expected to feel some form of jealousy course through her at any moment, but all it did was cause a brief moment of sadness with a little bit of curiosity.

"Hey, Danny?" Mindy called out softly, not removing her eyes from the couple. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"I thought those were the only questions you knew how to ask," Danny joked with another half smile.

"This is true," Mindy admitted readily. "How did you know that Christina wasn't the one?"

Danny raised his eyebrows in surprise and shifted in his seat. "Mindy, are you sure you want to talk about this right now? I'm not trying to trigger any bad memories for you."

Mindy nodded. "It's fine. You kind of touched on it when you decided not to propose, but we never talked about it again." Mindy shrugged and picked up her diminishing glass of wine. "There had to be a reason."

Danny sat back in his chair and line of vision rose to the ceiling. He looked like he was thinking hard about the question and after a moment, he cleared his throat. "Well, there wasn't really anything too specific, event-wise. It was just a feeling that I had almost the entire time we were reconciled that I hadn't realize existed."

Mindy nodded her understanding. It's sounded familiar.

"I remember heading out to meet up with her and feeling this lead weight at the pit of my stomach. I wasn't nervous or excited or anxious, I just wanted to get it over with. It wasn't until moments before I was supposed to see her that I realized that it was the same feeling that I had when I had to return to our apartment, or when we had to go to therapy, or on our date nights. I just always had this looming feeling of wanting to be somewhere else. At first I thought I was just me being closed off and craving my own space because she _always_ used to accuse me of being closed off. Then I would see my patients and I would feel that passion. I would visit my family and felt that excitement. I would be around you and I felt that ease."

Mindy's breath caught a little at his last statement. Though their communication had evolved greatly once they became close friends, affectionate admissions like that still took her by surprise.

"Wow," Mindy exhaled. "That stinks, Danny."

He shrugged and toyed with him empty glass. "Nah, it's fine. I just knew that forever wasn't supposed to feel like that. I still care about her, I'm _always_ going to care about her, but I knew that I had to stop trying to force things to fit if I ever wanted a chance at happiness again."

Mindy smiled ruefully. "I get that."

Danny pushed his empty glass aside. "Well, I would ask you the precise moment you realized that Elliot wasn't the one, but I think that one is fairly obvious."

Snorting, Mindy replied. "Yeah, I think that moment was pretty clear. I think I had the same problem as you, though. Like, I had all these feelings of apprehension that I could never properly identify long before the wedding. Every time I felt judged or muzzled or muted, there was always a part of me that wondered if that was what I had to look forward to for the rest of my life. I just wanted to be married so badly at the time that I guess I just ignored it."

Danny had a look of concentration before asking, "Can I say something to you honestly, even if it comes off a little jerkish? I promise it's not my intention."

"Go for it."

There was a ghost of a smile on his lips, but also a hint of remorse in his eyes. "I'm really glad you didn't marry that guy. I couldn't stand him."

Mindy narrowed her eyes, but there was no stopping the smile spreading across her face. "Danny, why didn't you say anything?"

Averting his gaze just enough to lose complete eye contact with her, Danny answered. "Well, because seeing you happy is always going to be more important to me than my dislike of anyone else."

Smiling wider now, Mindy was rendered speechless. Thankfully, her dessert arrived in the form of an elaborate, colorful fruit tart. The server placed it in front of Mindy with a friendly smile and quickly departed from the table. She lit up.

"Ooh, this is exciting," she gushed. She immediately reached into her bag and pulled out her phone in order to snap a picture. Just as the flash went off, a fork from the opposite side of the table entered the frame. She looked up find Danny preparing to dig into her treat.

"Let's see what we have here," he said, his face betraying a sense of mischief.

"Uh, _we_ have nothing," Mindy informed him firmly as she dragged the plate away from his fork. " _I_ have an amazing fruit tart. _You_ have nothing because you chose to skip dessert."

"I only skipped dessert because I knew you'd graciously share yours."

"Oh, we both know that's bullshit!"

Danny threw up his hands. "Hey, I'm planning on buying you more than a few drinks this week. Are you really saying that I can't try a little bite of your tart? What's a bite between good friends?"

Mindy groaned. "Danny, you are the worst."

Danny grinned confidently as he leaned forward and dug his fork into the pastry. "C'mon, you don't mean that."

Still feeling particularly moved by the sweetness he'd shown her earlier, she allowed one of the corners of her mouth to lift as she pushed the plate closer to the middle of the table, making it easier for them to share. She grabbed her own fork off the table. "You're right. I don't."


	6. Chapter 6

Danny and Mindy looked upon the glass bottom of the boat with two entirely contrasting expressions: his was look of wonderment and reverence while hers was one of complete boredom and disappointment.

"How are you not impressed by any of this?" Danny questioned in a hushed tone as another silver and bright blue fish quickly swam by. "We see the ocean's calm surface and have no idea what kind of epic war for survival lies beneath. It's a daily bloodbath where the fittest and most cunning must prove themselves everyday and we sit here on land, living our cushy lives, none the wiser of the terror that lies beneath."

Mindy, already well-acquainted with Danny's reverence of the ocean, maintained her uninterested gaze at the clear bottom of their vessel as her feet swung over the edge of her seat. "I would honestly love to see one of these battles for survival. Even a _scuffle_ for survival would be nice instead of seeing the same fish and coral over and over again." She looked up and gestured towards the many pictures of varying sea life lining the wall. "And they shouldn't promise us that we're going to see all these cool sharks and sting rays if we're just going to see a hundred of the same striped fish for an hour."

"You seemed pretty excited when we saw the clown fish," Danny pointed out with optimism. "You called him Nemo!"

"Well, yeah, when you see it the first time it's kind of like seeing a celebrity," Mindy explained. "After the thirtieth time you begin to feel like you've been ripped off, even if you didn't technically pay for it."

They decided that morning to peruse the attraction vouchers in their possession and choose an activity for the day while leisurely exploring the city. Both agreed that a glass bottom boat tour would satisfy his interest in learning about nature while satisfying her desire to see something beautiful up close. The first ten minutes after shove-off were interesting, but they were forty minutes in and only half of the pair appeared stimulated by their surroundings.

"Okay, well, what do you want to do after this?" Danny asked after tearing his eyes away from the glass. "Maybe get some lunch?"

Mindy nodded with some of the life returning to her eyes. "Yeah, I want a burger. I could have sworn we passed a few places on the way here." She paused for a moment, then added, "Also, I'd really like to go dancing tonight. The night life here has to be crazy and I did not expect to crash as hard as I did last night. We can dress up, get dinner, and find the loudest club on Duval Street."

Danny gave a slight cringe. "Does it have to be the loudest?"

"Yes, that's non-negotiable."

With a shrug of his shoulders, he sighed in defeat. "'kay, fine. Let's find the loudest club …and I hope that this place, whatever it is, has the stiffest drinks."

"Agreed," Mindy immediately replied with an enthusiastic smile. "And for that, I will try my best not to call you 'Grandpa Castellano' for the remainder of the trip."

Twenty minutes later their boat ride came to an end, much to Mindy's joy. They filed out of the boat with the rest of the patrons, Danny's hand placed protectively on Mindy's lower back as she ascended the few steps to the deck. The captain waited for everyone at the top to personally say goodbye to everyone as they excited. The bulky man in a blue polo and white shorts met Mindy and Danny with a friendly grin.

"I hope you and your husband enjoyed your voyage with us today," he said with a tip of his hat.

"Oh, he's not my husband," Mindy corrected quickly. "But we had a nice time, thank you very much."

Danny lips tightened in an unintentional grimace. It certainly wasn't the first time that day that they had been mistaken for a couple. He wasn't sure what they were doing that made it so easy for others to think that they were together, but it had been assumed that Danny was Mindy's significant other to some degree no less than four times: once at breakfast, another time in an artifacts shop, and twice on the boat tour in two different instances. It was beginning to bug him, but not for the reasons he thought it would.

Danny could handle people thinking that him and Mindy were together, it was something they had dealt with every once in a while for years. What bothered him, surprisingly, was the alacrity in which Mindy would correct the error while they were here. He knew it was petty, but it seemed silly to him for her to be so hell-bent on everyone knowing that they weren't together. Honestly, what would be the harm in a bunch of strangers thinking that they were an item? Why was the idea of him being a viable dating option - in front of people they would never see again once they left - preposterous? _Not that I necessarily want to date her_ , he thought to himself reassuringly, _but still…what so ridiculous about me?_

Taking a moment to consider his reasons for being annoyed, he began to feel idiotic. Of course Mindy would take the time to correct people…because they weren't a couple. They were friends and, naturally, she didn't want anyone to have the wrong idea, nor did she want either of them to feel awkward. It was sensible to correct the mistake and move on. It wasn't anything personal in the least.

So he decided that he would continue to let her correct all of Key West, if that meant having a decent vacation, because they were, in fact, friends.

He just hoped that Mindy didn't expect him to exert his energy for the sake of setting everyone straight.

* * *

After one of the best showers she'd every experienced, Mindy stood in front of one of her opened suitcases, wrapped in a towel, as she pawed through the different dress options for the evening. Truthfully, all of her options were technically good ones; she took special care in her packing selection, making sure that each option would be a desirable one, no matter the occasion. She had taken into account the weather, all possible levels of intoxication, and varying atmospheres of the different clubs and bars. It was a science that she had perfected over many trips.

The dress she was looking for, however, was a dress with a certain _Wow_ factor. This would be her first major night out as a single woman. It was also her first night out in Key West as well as her first night out with Danny in a long time. The last milestone seemed to resonate with her more than the others. She wanted to look amazing and, honestly, it would be a bonus if Danny thought she looked amazing, as well.

She kept landing on a sleeveless cocktail length dress in emerald green. The amount of glittery sequins lived up to her usual standard, cascading from her right shoulder down to her left hip. Like most of the dresses in her wardrobe, this one hugged every inch of her body with purpose. With the right pair of gold heels (and there were multiple pairs), this felt like the dress to outshine all dresses. Smiling, she carefully pulled the garment from her luggage and laid it carefully on the bed. Once the detail of what to wear was settled, she commenced with the ritual she saved specifically for a night out on the town.

After an hour and a half of moisturizing, plucking, curling, and last-minute shaving, she finally deemed herself acceptable and called Danny over to the room. He must have been ready for a while, for a knock on the door followed less than a minute after her call. She took a fleeting look in the mirror before rushing to open the door, revealing a somewhat stunned Danny. She wanted to take the time to admire his crisp black button up shirt with another dark pair of jeans, but she was too amused by his almost bulging eyes and his gaped mouth.

"Psh-wah umm…" Danny sputtered as he struggled to find suitable words, which tickled Mindy to no end.

"Having trouble there, Danny?" she asked with teasingly narrowed eyes.

A taunt like that would have normally snapped him out of his trance and elicited some biting remark, but instead he simply swallowed hard and stated, "I've never seen that dress before."

"Do you like it better than the purple one?"

Danny finally relaxed just a little with a hesitant smile. "I might."

Smiling wide, Mindy replied, "Good. That's all I was looking for." She turned to the bed and grabbed the selected clutch for the evening. As they descending down the steps, Mindy felt a cold jolt up her spine. _I wasn't just flirting with Danny, was I,_ she fretted internally. She was accustomed to their usually innocent flirtation, but something rang a tad differently than usual. Admitting that he was a passing thought while selecting her dress for the evening, even if it was said with the cadence of a joke, was entirely unintentional. She hoped that Danny was somewhat oblivious to her blunder as they exited the front door of the inn.

* * *

Thankfully, dinner and pre-clubbing cocktails progressed much more comfortably. Over a serene dinner at a place called Chartreuse (a short cab ride away from where they were staying), Mindy was finally able to tell Danny that she thought he looked nice, which he deflected with his usual egotistical zinger, they laughed, joked, and reviewed what they hoped to accomplish for the remainder of the week. The ease in which they fell into their usual banter and flirtation not only calmed her nerves for the night, but reminded her of what she missed about their friendship while she was so engrossed in her romantic relationships. Even with sex, intermittent cohabitation, and a proposal, there was a certain intimacy that she had with Danny that she was unable to duplicate with Elliot. She wondered briefly if there would ever be an appropriate time to tell him that.

They finished their dinner and strolled over to Duval Street around eleven o' clock and the energy of the city was palpable. There was an abundance of clubs and bars to choose from, each establishment louder than the one before. The people in the streets, ranging from normal to very obviously drunk, were weaving in and out of each place, each person looking ready to seize the night. The two cocktails in Mindy's system already had her eager to find a place and dance off her mounting energy.

"Danny, how about that place up ahead with the pink lights?" She nodded her head towards a place about twenty yards away to their left. There was a long, but moving line of people forming in the front with people waiting to enter. The pulsing pop music could be heard from where they were standing. Even the doorman seemed to be grooving to the beat.

"Yeah, that might be fun," Danny agreed easily. "Let's go."

They walked with a little more purpose towards the building illuminated in pink. Upon closer inspection, Mindy read the sign that said _Julep of Key West_. The crowd entering seemed to be a mix of young and older, which encouraged her greatly. They finally reached the line and filed into the back.

"I can't remember the last time I went out dancing like this," Danny admitted over the blaring music. "I think it was when Shauna was still with us."

Mindy raised her eyebrows in surprise. Danny was a pretty exceptional dancer, which she had learned the night that the entire office went out as a group years ago.

"If I could dance like you," Mindy mused, "It would be so hard to keep me in the house. I'd be out pretty much every night, scoring as much easily-impressed ass as possible."

Danny laughed. "Oh, yeah? Well, maybe I'm not interested in all that."

They looked at each other, each with mirth-lit eyes. Mindy simply gave a slight nod of her head as they approached the doorman and paid their cover charge.

The inside of Julep was smaller than any club in New York Mindy had visited, but it was packed wall-to-wall with dancing, drinking, and lively bodies. There was a row of unoccupied roped-off booths, which was a glaring contrast from the ones in the city that were always filled with big shots and models. It seemed like everyone was on the dance floor and ready to party, which was refreshing.

"I'm gonna get us a drink," Danny informed Mindy loudly over the music. "Vodka pineapple for you?"

Mindy nodded enthusiastically just before Danny grabbed her wrist gently and navigated them through the crowd until they reached the busy bar. He immediately caught the attention of a young, busty bartender with long raven hair and far too much make-up, even for a dark place like Julep.

"Hi! What can I get you, handsome?" she said, in Mindy's opinion, a little too cheerfully.

"Uh, one vodka tonic and a vodka pineapple, please."

Mindy turned to Danny and playfully nudged his shoulder while the bartender tended to their order. "You're going to have the entire female population on this island at your feet by the time we get ready to leave…you _are_ still planning to come back with me to New York, right? You're not going to convert into some tanned, ukulele-playing island stud, are you?"

Danny smirked. "You wouldn't happen to be jealous, would you, Mindy?"

The accusation stilled Mindy for a moment. She was being playful and so was he, she was fairly certain. Why did she suddenly feel the need to defend herself?

"Of course not," she quickly denied, attempting to sound as laid back as possible. "Just making an observation."

Shrugging, Danny responded, "Well, I think everyone is just especially friendly here. No harm in that, right?"

The young bartender returned with their drinks. "Are we opening a tab?"

"Yeah," Danny answered quickly. "Definitely." He handed her his card and grabbed their drinks, handing the yellowish drink to Mindy while he kept the clear beverage to himself. He raised his glass just slightly in her direction. "To new beginnings and a good time."

"To new beginnings and a good time," Mindy echoed, clinking her glass with his. They sipped their cocktails as they took a lap around the club. There was another room in the club that played different music from the main room. It housed a separate bar and dance floor and was bathed in blue light. It was hard to see inside, but there appeared to be a lot of couples dancing intimately in this particular setting. It made Mindy more uneasy than she would have guessed.

"Uh, can we stay here in the main room?" Mindy asked, hoping that she sounded casual. "I like the music here better."

Danny looked back at the blue room, then at Mindy. She thought she spotted a flash of concern across his face, but he responded with "sure" just before she could speculate too much. It wouldn't surprise her if he saw through her phony reasoning, though. He was usually pretty good at picking up her signals, whether she meant to give them or not.

The turned back to the main dance floor and started bopping to an old Christina Aguilera song. Without preamble, they made there way to the middle of the dance floor and swayed to the music with the crowd. Mindy held tightly to her drink in one hand and her clutch in her other, but had no difficulty twitching her hips and getting swept away by the beat. Danny's hips were as mesmerizing as ever, snaking and rotating in time to the pulsating rhythm. The swagger he possessed while dancing was something that Mindy could never be fully prepared for. To see her friend, who was normally a curmudgeon, dance like he didn't have a care in the world was a sight that she equated to spotting a unicorn.

They danced for a few songs as the DJ alternated between current music and songs from the nineties. Danny seemed to really be enjoying himself, showing appreciation for each song that played while Mindy laughed good-naturedly at his excitement. She moved a little closer to him so she could shout over the sound system, "We really should go out more often! I forgot how fun it was to see you dance like this."

Danny smiled widely. "Oh, yeah?" His hand was suddenly resting lightly on Mindy's hip as a means of steadying her long enough for him to asked slickly, "You like what you see that much?"

While she was well-aware that the gesture was innocent and his voice betrayed an obvious tone of jest, the move still caught her off her guard just a little and inexplicably put her on edge. The thin material of her dress did little to block the warmth from his hand, which she found alarming and comforting all at once. It shouldn't have been a big deal – he touches her all the time in one way or another – but inconsequential move set her on edge. She was beginning to feel like every little thing tonight – from their flirty nature upon leaving the inn to the slightest innocent touch – was going to make her uncharacteristically uncomfortable, for some reason. The need to loosen up became apparent, so she drained the last watered-down gulp of her cocktail.

"I'm gonna go grab another drink," Mindy informed him firmly.

"Okay, but be nice to my tab, alright? We still have five more days here after tonight."

Mindy nodded appreciatively, then replied jokingly, "Right. Top shelf liquor and a complimentary round from you for the entire bar. Got it."

"Real nice, Min."

Giggling, Mindy made her way to the bar and waited for one of the bartenders to make their way to her. As soon as she sat on the stool, she could just barely feel her phone vibrate in her clutch. Still waiting to be served, she pulled her phone out to find a Facebook notification of an incoming message from Dennis Mjeckwindowski.

Elliot's brother.

"Oh, goddamit," she groaned loudly, attracting the attention of the customers immediately around her. She knew the best thing would be to ignore it until she got back to the city, but she also knew that the little will power she had would never be wasted on something trivial like ignoring a Facebook message, no matter how awful the message was sure to be.

When the bartender finally got around to asking her for her order, she decided to stick with her vodka pineapple. After a second of thought, she amended, "Make that a double, please." She clicked the notification in order to launch her Facebook app and be redirected to the message from the man who was once supposed to be her brother-in-law. Her drink arrived just in time for her to read the greeting: "Dear Selfish…" With a harsh sigh and a heavy heart, she continued to read as she began to drain her glass.

Ten minutes and two empty glasses later, Mindy was still commiserating over the biting message she'd received from Elliot's brother, which explained in detail why she was responsible for the downward toll he'd taken and just what made her an awful person. While normally she would be working hard to build up a confident, witty defense against such an attack, she felt like it was a hard point to argue while sipping cocktails on what was supposed to be her honeymoon. She felt like Dennis might be right about a few things, especially the parts where she was labeled as callous, distasteful, and uncouth. While she had occupied herself with the task of finding the perfect dress for the night, Elliot, per the message, was barricaded in his apartment, showerless for the third day in a row and drowning his sorrows in beer and McDonald's. Dennis when as far as to call him "a broken pile of yuck" and she was obviously to blame.

This is not what was supposed to happen. She should either be here with her husband or at home, in hiding. How had she so quickly forgotten how big of a monster she was? The multiple drinks in her system only amplified her self-pity. Either she needed a comforting word or a cold dose of reality in order to yank her from this newfound funk. In any case, she needed to find Danny.

She hopped off of the stool and carefully made her way back into the crowd, which appeared to be getting denser as time passed. The sudden switch from a sitting to an upright position caused her to sway just a little bit. Mindy immediately concluded that she was on her way to being drunk and she couldn't decide if the better idea would be to stop while she was still cognizant or to keep going until the night significantly blurred. Maybe Danny would be able to steer her in the right direction.

She looked in their previous spot on the floor, but he wasn't there.

"Danny?" she called out over the music, which she knew was pretty useless with the number of people there and the heightening volume of the place. She tried to sharpen her focus in order to find him quicker, but there were just so many faces and none of them sensed her urgency enough to move out of her way. Mindy tried to cut through the crowd assertively without shoving anyone. The club was not nearly big enough for the search to be too difficult.

"Maybe he's in the blue room," she said to herself. She hoped that he wasn't; the last thing she needed after that message she had just endured was to have to wade through a sea of happy couples. She steeled herself in preparation, then turned around to head towards the direction of the other room. She immediate stopped once she finally spotted Danny, dancing with a random, curvaceous blonde woman. His hand was high on her hips and she was undulating against him very aggressively. It was hard to really make out his face in the dark, but Mindy was able to spot the woman's proud smile as she grabbed his and spun herself around in order to press her back against his front, seductively wiggling her bottom all the while.

Mindy felt the sudden urge to leave. She immediately headed towards the door, not bothering to consider whether or not that was an appropriate reaction to what she had seen. She wasn't mad at him…no, she _was_ mad at him, actually, for deciding to dance with some skank as opposed to looking for her and making sure she was okay. She then scolded herself for assuming that woman was anything other than a normal woman looking to have fun, but the anger towards Danny remained. Why hadn't he told her that he wanted to hook up with other women while they were out? Was that even her business? Somehow she felt like it was.

She entered the night air and wondered what her next move would be. Either she could stay outside for a moment and sort out her feelings, or she could just go home to her warm bed and cry it out until she eventually fell asleep. After weighing her options the words "bed" and "cry" influenced her to hail a passing cab and hop in. She gave the driver the address and he took off. Seeing the club disappear from her window made her immediately resent how much of a bust the night had been and she didn't know who she was more upset with: Danny for forgetting her for some woman, Dennis for sending that awful e-mail, or herself for even reading the message against her better judgment. Before she could land on a conclusion, her phone rang. With her phone still in hand, she looked at the screen to find Danny calling. She tapped the answer icon reluctantly.

"Yeah?"

"Mindy, where are you?" Danny asked frantically. She sound of a car whizzing by and a shouting drunkard let her know that he was outside of the club. "I've been looking for you and can't find you anywhere!"

Mindy rolled her eyes, trying not to let the worry in his voice soften her resolve. "I'm in a cab. I'm heading back to the house."

"WHAT?!" he cried. "What the hell? Why are you heading home? And why didn't you come find me?!"

"I didn't want to interrupt you and that woman."

There was a silence on the line, presumably while Danny tried to decipher what she was talking about, then he returned with, "The blonde?! Mindy, you can't seriously think-"

"I just didn't want to get in your way, alright?" Mindy interrupted. She fiddled idly with one of the sequins on her dress. "I was ready to go home and I didn't want to drag you with me if you were having a good time." Her voice cracked on the last two words once she felt her throat begin to constrict. _No crying_ , Mindy scolded herself silently. _Not yet, anyway._

"Mindy, that's crazy! I can't believe you left me here by myself!"

She could tell that he was angry, but mostly worried for her. Now she was beginning to feel that awful feeling again, the one she felt after checking Dennis's message. She wondered how many times her selfishness would become a reoccurring issue.

"I'm sorry," she apologized in a low town. "I just…I had to go. I'm really sorry."

Mindy hung up the phone before she finally allowed the tears to roll down her cheek freely. It was clear to her that she had made a mistake, but there was no returning to the club now. Having a good time would be impossible and Danny had to be furious with her. If they were going to fight, she'd rather it be in the comfort of her pajamas.

She arrived at the Amelia Inn minutes later, graciously paying the driver and rushing to unlock the house. At first she felt relieved to be home, but it was immediately followed by dread. It was silly to leave. She had no right to concern herself with Danny's hook-ups, whether they were vacationing together or not, and leaving without telling him was inconsiderate.

"God, I really have a knack for thinking of things way too late," she said in the silence of the house. She slowly made her way up the steps, still tipsy from the alcohol, and reached her door. While unlocking it, she took a moment to glance at Danny's room door. Would she be able to hear him through the wall if he brought someone home? She prayed not. He was a free man who had the right to do whatever he wanted…she just had no desire to hear it.

Mindy entered the room and immediately slipped out of her shoes and began to disrobe. She grabbed the same nightshirt she had slept in the night before and yanked out her earrings. Then she slipped into her bed, neglecting to remove her make-up, turned off the lamp and allowed her drunken drowsiness to claim her before she had the chance to think or cry anymore. She was so deep in her sleep that she completely missed the knock on her door fifteen minutes later.

* * *

The next morning, Mindy woke up to the sound of the resident rooster saluting the rising sun. She had no clue what time it was, but she could tell that her body simply was not ready to get up. The acrid taste of stale vodka in her mouth served as a reminder of the night before.

"Nope," she moaned. "Not ready to face that." She flipped over in an attempt to fall back asleep. Before she could close her eyes she caught of glimpse of a folded piece of paper tucked under her door. The lifted her head to look at the paper more clearly as her eyes adjusted to the dull morning light. While she didn't feel like physically getting up, her curiosity was too strong to allow her to ignore it much longer. She sat up and swung her feet around the edge of the bed, stepping onto the cool wooden floor. She took the few steps needed to reach the door and bent over to pick up the paper. Using the little light that found its way through the curtains, she unfolded the paper to find a quickly scrawled note:

_I'm not exactly sure what happened tonight, but I really want us to talk about it, okay? Please come find me anytime, Min. Wake me up if you have to. I just want to understand._

_D_

_P.S. – I'll be alone._

She felt a mixture of relief that he was by himself and mortification that he felt the need to mention that detail to her. More than anything, she felt regret for not taking the time to talk to him and standing in the way of their good time. Deciding that any attempts to return to sleep would be futile, she checked the bedside clock, which read "6:38." She bypassed her bed and went to the bathroom in order to get cleaned up, all the while thinking of ways to make things right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Julep and Chartreuse are not real establishments in Key West, as far as I know. None that I've been to, at least. Neither is the Amelia, though it is modeled after a bed and breakfast that I did patronize during my honeymoon there. :o)


	7. Chapter 7

While he would love to say that he slept well, Danny had been up since five a.m. After an especially restless night, he opted to turn on the TV and let the white noise distract him for a while in hopes that it would eventually lull him to sleep. It was now just past seven a.m. and he was no closer to sleep than he had been two hours prior.

He had always had trouble falling asleep whenever there were unsettled matters. It was a reoccurring theme while he was married and their issues often kept him up at night. Going to work after a lack of sleep was always a struggle and accounted for a lot of his grumpiness. It wasn't anything that he made public, so he just let his colleagues attribute it to a naturally bad attitude, not really concerning himself with what they thought.

It was important to him that he figure out what was bothering Mindy soon, if he wanted to enjoy the rest of his trip. If it was something he did, then maybe he could correct it right away. It couldn't have been the simple matter of him dancing very briefly with that very drunk woman, could it? He was merely dancing with her to be polite after she had very aggressively approached him. Truthfully, he would have much preferred just hanging out with Mindy the whole night, club be damned.

Though he wanted to try knocking on her door again, he had already left her a note. Whatever was bothering her, he didn't want to exacerbate the issue by crowding her. He made it more than clear that he was available to talk, so it was safe to say that the ball was in her court. Furthermore, he was still trying to figure out whether he was more annoyed with her for carelessly ditching him at Julep or more concerned for her well-being. His feelings changed from moment to moment. Right now he felt concerned, but in a minute or two he was sure to be annoyed again.

He also decided the file this incident under the "traveling drama" he had dreaded prior to agreeing to tag along.

Minutes later there was a knock on the door and he could already tell who was on the other side. In the interest of not appearing too eager, he waited two seconds before leaping out of his bed and answering it. There stood Mindy in a night shirt and yoga pants, holding a plate containing a strawberry pastry. She was biting her lip nervously, which managed to totally eradicate any possible desire to fight with her. He quickly made a mental note to never let her know how much that habit affected him or else she'd have him wrapped around her finger.

"Morning, Danny," she greeted in a low tone. She offered the plate to him. "I wanted to bring you this apology pastry."

Danny narrowed his eyes and took the plate with an amused smile. "An apology pastry, Mindy?"

Mindy sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah, for being so weird to you last night. I had a lot going on and I totally projected that onto you."

"What do you mean you had a lot going on? What happened?"

"I'll explain later, maybe, but it's really not important," Mindy blurted dismissively. "Leaving you there was totally inconsiderate. It's none of my business who you want to hook up with."

"Mindy-"

"I have to remember that this is your vacation, too, and if landing one or five hot blondes is on the agenda –"

"Mindy, please-"

"-then that is your prerogative. I'm not sure how effective of a wingwoman I could be right now-"

"MINDY!" Danny bellowed. Mindy's mouth snapped closed and she starred upon him with a wide-eyed, anticipatory expression. Danny blew out a calming breath. "Look, I'm sorry I shouted, alright? I really need you to listen to me."

Mindy gave him a small nod and he continued. "I only danced with that woman for half a song, then I went looking for you –"

"Danny, you don't have to-"

"No, Mindy, _listen_ ," Danny groaned. "We danced for half a song and then I went looking for you. I had no desire to hook up with her, nor do I really have a desire to hook up with anyone else while I'm here. I really just want us to have a good time together."

With a confused look, Mindy said, "But Danny, this is just as much your vacation as it is mine. I shouldn't expect you to focus entirely on me."

"I'm _not_ focused entirely on you," he corrected. "I'm also focused on me and what _I_ want…and what I want is to spend as much time with you as I can get. Really, when you think about it, we packed together, traveled here together, and have a shared itinerary. Technically, this is _our_ vacation. I think it would be kind of messed up to ditch you for some random woman during our vacation, don't you?"

The sentiment dragged a reluctant smile from Mindy and she shrugged at the question. Danny smirked at the sight, then asked, "What, do you want to hook up with guys while we're-"

"NO," Mindy answered emphatically.

"'cuz if you did-"

"No, Danny," Mindy insisted. "You're right, this is our vacation and I want to spend it with you."

The pair stood there for a moment, smiling shyly at each other as the atmosphere lightened around them.

"Alright, then," Danny finalized.

"Alright, then," Mindy repeated as she rocked on the balls of her feet. "Sooo, what should we do today? I chose the club last night and that was obviously a disaster."

"Yeah, well I chose the boat tour and you hated that," Danny pointed out.

"Well, technically we both chose that." Mindy leaned against the door with an easy smile on her face. "Bear in mind, I'm still going to use that tour as an excuse for you to buy me a meal while we're here, as a means of apologizing."

"Of course, you will," Danny accepted with a chuckle. He placed the pastry on his bed. "Well, there is a place I've been wanting to try since we got here. Richie insists that we can't leave Key West without at least two visits."

Mindy nodded. "Great! I'll finish getting ready and you can lead the way!"

* * *

"Oh, my God, Danny, this is awesome!"

"Yeah, this is pretty cool!"

Mindy swung left to right on her bar stool at Fat Tuesdays, a popular bar famous for its extensive selection of frozen drinks. Danny had been a little skeptical of the concept when Richie initially explained it to him ("What if a man wants a real drink?" he asked with incredulity), but he was happy to find a daiquiri that packed enough of a punch and, in his mind, sufficiently kept his manhood in tact. Mindy picked a drink called Violet Behavior and while Danny couldn't remember much of its contents, he knew that it was dark purple and contained enough to get Mindy somewhat loose rather quickly.

"Day drinking is the shit," she announced loudly, which earned her a nondescript cheer from a stranger sitting further down the bar. "I don't get why this is so frowned upon! We should be able to do this every day!"

"Yeah, I'm sure our patients would love that," Danny replied sarcastically, smiling as he sipped from his sports bottle. "Maybe it's best that we keep this a vacation activity."

Mindy opened her mouth to say something, then quickly closed it with a sudden realization. "I was going to say something, but I just remembered that I promised not to call you a grandpa during this trip."

"You did!"

"I totally shot myself in the foot there."

"That's a shame. Really, it is."

Mindy let out a light laugh that caused a quick jolt in Danny's chest. He hoped to remember to text his brother a heartfelt "thank you" for his suggestion. This was easily the best time they have had thus far.

"How are things?" the bearded bartender appeared with a stack of tumblers, which he stored under the bar.

"Great!" Mindy replied. She took another from her cup, which began to sound as if she was sucking the bottom of the bottle. "I'm almost out, though. I might want to try something else."

The bartender, looking pleased, placed his hands on his hips. "Well, we do have a special with shots today. They're called Spectrum Shots and they are two for five dollars." He pointed at a picture sitting on the bar of a rainbow-colored shot that appeared to be assembled in a long tube. "It's perfect for couples. You two would definitely like it."

Danny waited for the inevitable amendment from Mindy that normally came with this type of assumption. After a few seconds, however, he heard nothing. He turned to Mindy only to find her looking at the picture with interest. Then she looked up at him with a playful smirk and asked, "What do you say, my love? How about a shot?"

Danny raised his eyebrows in surprise, which Mindy answered with a challenging raise of a single eyebrow. The idea of letting these people think they were together didn't appear to bother her in the least, so he decided to play along. He placed a hand on the cusp of her shoulder and allowed his thumb to graze the side of her neck while signaling the bartender with his free hand. "Two shots, please."

"You got it, boss," he replied, grabbing two fresh tubes and stacking differently colored squirts of frozen margarita mixes in each.

"So, you don't plan on telling him that we're not a couple?" Danny asked in a hushed tone.

Mindy shrugged. "Meh. It's nobody's business, either way."

The bartender returned with their shots and Danny slapped a bill on the table. Turning to Mindy, he rose his tube in the air in salute.

"To you, Min," he toasted. Smiling appreciatively, Mindy rose her tube. Then she leaned forward and linked her arm with his, wrapping it around until their respective shots where close enough to their mouths.

"Couples still do things like this, right, babe?" she asked with a hint of a mischievous giggle.

Danny simply smiled and replied, "Sure, why not?"

Their arms still linked, they rose the shot to their lips and inhaled them in a single gulp. Danny didn't care for the taste, but he found that he would be more than willing to partake in another one if she had asked.

By the look of her, though, Mindy seemed just as unimpressed. "That was an experience." She handed him the empty tube and scrunched up her nose. "Maybe I'm not drunk enough to find the appeal in that just yet."

Danny deposited the tubes beside him then turned back around to face Mindy. "So, where to now, _darling_? C'mon, we can't stay here all day."

She didn't answer right away, seemingly distracted by something behind him. He turned around to check out a wall full of Polaroid snapshots. All the pictures looked similar, each one of a man holding a neon green funnel.

Mindy flagged down the bartender, then pointed to the wall. "Hey, who are those guys?"

The bartender glanced at the wall and replied mysteriously, "Those are the brave men who conquered the green-eyed monster."

Mindy rolled her eyes. "Okay, I'm not even going to pretend that I understood that. What is it, like, a drinking game?"

"Basically, it's just thirty-two ounces of a mix of some of our cocktails. Turns a gnarly green color, tastes pretty gross. Not too many people get past the first sip."

"Sounds dangerous," Danny replied skeptically.

"Totally safe," the bearded man assured them both. "It's more disgusting than anything and, actually, not much stronger than your drink, bud."

Mindy looked back on the wall. "I notice there are no women up there."

The bartender didn't answer her with words, but gave a low chuckle that caused her to snap her attention back to him. "What's so funny?"

Shrugging, the bartender replied, "Well, of course there aren't any women up there. A lot of tough men have barely been able to handle it."

With that, Mindy straighten her posture and locked eyes with him determinedly. "Where's the funnel? I want to try it."

Both men stared at her with hesitation.

"Uh, Mindy-"

"No, Danny, I have to do this," Mindy replied resolutely, then turned to the bartender and added, "for feminism."

Shaking his head, he ducked under the bar and pulled out a large beer funnel wrapped in plastic. He set it on the bar and grabbed a small pitcher, which he began filling with different mixes from the row of dispensers behind him.

Mindy turned to Danny and said with excitement, "My horoscope said that I'd be a pioneer today!"

"Mindy, I doubt it meant that you should kill yourself in the process."

She waved her hand dismissively. "Between college and my cooking, this'll be a cakewalk."

"Are you sure?" Danny asked, the apprehension still present in his voice.

"Positive."

Her confident expression put him at ease. "Then knock 'em dead."

The bartender rang a loud bell positioned just above him, then came around to meet them on the other side of the bar, carrying the funnel and the pitcher filled with a dark green concoction. Two other Fat Tuesday employees came outside from the back, one carrying a camera and the other carrying a bib. The bartender spoke to Mindy. "So, the rules are that you can't pause, spit, or vomit. You've gotta chug it within the minute."

Mindy nodded her understanding, then took one last look at Danny. He cupped her face with his hands and looked her in the eyes. "You've got this, Lahiri."

She smiled, patting one of the hands on her cheek. She turned around to the small crowd that had formed around her, comprised of employee and guests. "Let's do this!"

The small crowd cheered while the girl holding the bib fastened it around Mindy's neck. The bearded man got into position after unwrapping the fresh funnel and handed the long cylinder to her. He held the open-ended portion aloft and waited for Mindy to place the tube in her mouth. "Alright, are you ready?"

Mindy gave them the thumbs up and the crowd counted down. "3…2…1…UNLEASH THE KRAKEN!"

He began to poor a steady stream of the liquid into the funnel and Danny looked upon her anxiously as the liquid reached her lips. He could tell that the taste was rough, for Mindy immediately began to squeeze her eyes shut. One of her hands grabbed Danny's and she squeezed with all her might, but she didn't stop drinking. The crowd chanted "Chug! Chug! Chug!" as she continued to take the drink in. Both her torture and her determination were evident and Danny knew that there was no way that her pride was going to allow her to quit just yet, even if she was having a tough time. It was something that he had always admired in her, even during their early residency days when he thought that he didn't like her. While that same determination was now being applied to a bar challenge, it still impressed him greatly.

Danny looked at the pitcher and was happy to see that it was already mostly gone. He didn't think he could be so invested in something as simple as drinking, but a part of him really wanted Mindy to be able to shove a victory in the smug bartender's face.

"You've got this, Min!" he yelled. She squeezed his hand even harder, continuing to chug until there was nothing left. The bartender removed the funnel from Mindy's mouth and cried with excitement "THE MONSTER HAS BEEN CONQUERED!"

The bar cheered and Danny scooped Mindy up and a clenching hug. "Nice job!"

He put her down to find a pained expression on her face as she grabbed her head with both of her hands. "I forgot that brain freezes were a thing! Dammit!"

Danny immediately sat her down and gently grabbed her shoulders. "Shit, are you okay?"

Mindy exhaled slowly, then nodded. "I'm alright. That was so disgusting. But I'm so ready to tell that guy to 'suck it." Where is he?"

Danny looked around and found the bartender in question rinsing out funnel with water from the tap. "Hey, man, can you come here for a sec? The lady would like to tell you to 'suck it.'" Missing the bartender's rolling eyes, he turned to Mindy and they both laughed as people came up to the victor to clap her on the back and congratulate her. Mindy removed the bib while the bartender approached her with the funnel.

"Congrats, you get to keep the funnel and the bib. Derek over there will take a picture of you for our wall."

"SUCK IT!" Mindy yelled as she snatched the funnel from his clutches. She looked quite pleased with herself, which Danny found pretty charming.

The bartender mumbled something indistinguishable under his breath and returned to the back of the bar while Derek the Employee motioned for her to stand in front of a bare wall with her funnel. She looked to Danny and attempted to blindly fix her hair.

"Danny, do I look okay?" she asked self-consciously.

Maybe it was all the alcohol in his system or the high off of Mindy's small victory, but something about her in that moment made it impossible to be guarded with her. In her simplest attire and absence of make-up, she looked wonderful.

"You look beautiful, Min," he replied, one corner of his mouth curled upward.

She smiled, then leaned forward and planted a firm kiss on his cheek. The action took him a little by surprise, but he remembered that the bartender was still under the impression that they were together. He wondered if that's what inspired her to kiss him, but then found that it didn't really matter to him. Mindy scurried over to the wall and smiled as she posed proudly with her funnel. Derek took the picture then grabbed a sharpie out of his pocket. He handed both the picture and the marker to her.

"Just write your name at the bottom and we'll put it on the wall once it's developed!"

Mindy carefully grabbed both items and scribbled "Chloe Silverado" at the bottom and handed them back. She turned to Danny and said in a low tone, "Okay, I need to drink a ton of water and sleep this off. Day-drinking is a dangerous, dangerous game."

Danny chuckled, grabbed his sports bottle, and wrapped his arm around Mindy's shoulders and guided her out of the bar. "Let's head home for a little while, champ."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Fat Tuesdays, for those of you who don't know, is a very real place and Violet Behavior is one of their drinks. The Green Monster Challenge, however, is imaginary. So please, if you ever visit it one day, please don't reference this story and say that you "want to conquer the green monster" because there's no telling what they'll respond with.


	8. Chapter 8

"Are you sure you're up to doing a tour right now?" Danny asked tentatively as they waited under the covered trolley stop. They sat side-by-side on the metal bench while a number of tourists waited around them, just under the covering. "You had a pretty eventful afternoon at the bar. Maybe we should be taking it easy."

"I really can't think of anything easier than sitting on a trolley while some weird guy tells me a bunch of weird ghost stories that probably aren't true," Mindy responded nonchalantly. "I'll be fine. This should be fun!"

Danny gave a slight grimace. "I don't know, Min, a ghost tour? At night? Won't that be a little too creepy?"

Mindy smiled and nudged Danny's shoulders with her own. "That's the fun part, Danny! Nobody wants to do a ghost tour in broad daylight. That's a waste of a ghost tour."

"Alright, alright," Danny conceded. "I get it."

"Don't worry, Danny," Mindy shifted so that she was facing him a little more, "You can always grab my hand if it gets too scary for you."

Despite the teasing grin on her face, Danny immediately jumped on the defensive. "Too scary for **me?** Now way, sweetheart, I'll be fine. I'll be around, though, when you start to freak out."

"I'm **not** going to freak out!"

"You were freaked out by a baby once because you claimed his sneeze sounded demonic!" Danny pointed out with a laugh. "You were paranoid the entire day! It was nuts!"

Mindy gave him a hard pinch on his forearm, though there was a hint of a smile on her lips. "I'll be fine, jackass," she said, mumbling the last word.

A black trolley with neon green trim and piping slowly pulled up to the curb where Danny, Mindy, and the other guests were waiting. Once it came to a full stop, they spotted a tall, thin man standing at the front of the car in an all black suit. His face was painted in order to look like a skeleton, just like the gloves on his hands had a skeletal design on them. He was holding a black top hat with a neon green bow in one hand and a microphone in the other.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," the man greeted in a hauntingly deep voice. "Please line up and have your vouchers ready…if you _daaaaare_."

"Christ, this is already too much," Danny groaned under his breath. Mindy hissed at him to be quiet as they queued up to board the vehicle. Mindy handed the guide both her and Danny's tickets, which were exchanged for pamphlets, and led them to two seats closer to the back.

"So how long is this tour supposed to be?" Danny asked, waiting for her to settle in her seat by the window. He then took his place next to her.

"The voucher said it was a ninety-minute tour," Mindy informed him. She looked through the pamphlet, then pointed to the map printed on the second panel. "It looks like it's going to take us all over the place."

Danny leaned forward to get a better view of the map. "Look at all the stars on this thing! Exactly how many ghosts are on this island?"

Mindy looked at him with confusion. "Was that actual concern that I detected in that tone of yours, Danny?"

Danny waved her off dismissively and mumbled "shut up" under his breath, which amused Mindy greatly. Once the rest of the passengers settled in, the suited man took his place at the head of the aisle.

"Well, it looks like we're ready to go," he said in his low tone. "Time to hit the road, Jack!"

Mindy saw the driver's eyes roll in the large rear view mirror as he pulled away from the curb.

"It's funny because his name is actually Jack," he clarified. A proud smirk could still be detected through his elaborate face paint as he placed his top hat on the top of his head. "And I'm Ziek, your spirited guide for the evening. Tonight's tour will not only inform you, but chill you…to the boooooone."

He wiggled his gloved fingers for emphasis, a gesture that only amused one elderly couple sitting at the front of the trolley.

"Oh, brother," Mindy mumbled just loud enough for Danny to hear. He gave a slight unenthusiastic nod of agreement as they slowly turned onto Whitehead Street.

"We begin our tour with Whiskey Nipsy's," Ziek began, adopting a more informative tone. "A bar that is said to be haunted after it was rebuilt in 1902. The original watering hole that was in its place burned down after a disgruntled customer, already very intoxicated, was denied his drink. In a rage, he set the establishment on fire. Unfortunately, the exit, a large door that was famously tricky, chose that very moment to jam shut. Everyone inside, including the Blazing Drunkard, as he was later coined, perished in the fire."

Mindy found it difficult to get into the story when she could clearly see a portly man dancing on top of the bar, his shirt lifted and his protruding belly proudly on display as he was cheered on by a group of young female onlookers. If the place was haunted, they weren't aware of it.

Mindy tuned back into the guide's story in time to hear him say, "Many have claimed to have seen a man with a thick mustache, glasses, and a waistcoat through the windows, sitting at the bar long after it has closed for the night, waiting for his gin."

"All that drama for gin?" Danny asked incredulously at an unabashedly audible volume. Mindy tried to quiet him again, but he refused to silence himself. "What?" he asked with a shrug. "It's just gin! Now if it were bourbon, I'd get it."

Mindy stifled the laugh that threatened to bubble to the surface. The guide looked momentarily thrown off by Danny's outburst, but fell back into his routine. "Just up ahead we have Rosalind Street, home to Sotolongo Gardens and a mansion that houses one of the biggest mysteries of Key West…"

The tour continued for forty-five minutes with stories of many haunted mansions (one of which, Mindy noted, was noticeably close to Amelia Inn), old post offices, and an abandoned school. The stories that came with each landmark varied from gruesome murders to natural disasters. At one point Mindy found herself peering through the darkened windows of each place, seeing if she could spot one of the famed apparitions. She thought that she was being discrete until Danny nudged her side.

"You're looking for one of these ghosts," he whispered loudly. The playful mirth on his face was not to be missed.

"Stop judging me!"

The trolley rounded the corner and they rode along a long road, just by the ocean. The light of the moon reflected off the water's surface and the stars were plentiful. Despite the daunting tales they had heard throughout the ride, the beauty of the night could not be overshadowed. Mindy was temporarily entranced by the scenery until she heard the word "walking" very suddenly.

"Uh," Mindy turned to Danny, "did he say 'walking'?"

"Yeah," Danny confirmed. "We're going to some fort to look at some doll. We're taking a 'brief walking tour' while we're there. How's that thirty-two ounce margarita treating you?"

"Dammit," Mindy cursed. "I would not have come here if I knew there was walking involved."

Minutes later they pulled up to an old brick building. Ziek cleared his throat into the microphone. "We've arrived to East Martello Tower, where we will meet my good friend, Abigail, and she will take you to meet Key West's most famous resident, Robert the Doll. As you exit, you'll each be getting an EMF detector. Very easy to operate: when the red lights spike upward, that means it's picking up a rise in electromagnetic energy…usually a big indicator of some special visitors in our midst…"

The passengers filed out of the trolley one by one, each given a bulky, unimpressive device. Danny rolled the reader around in his hand, while Mindy groaned.

"Great, now I have to walk _and_ I have to carry this stupid thing around? We totally should have stayed in and watched The Avengers."

Smirking, Danny patted Mindy on the back and they followed the small crowd into the courtyard of the fort. Inside they met a squat woman in a dark-colored corset and petticoat. Her hair was in a large, tight bun close to the nape of her neck.

"Good evening," greeted cheerfully. "I'm Abigail, and welcome to the East Martello Tower. I'm going to take you inside to the showroom. On our way, I encourage you to pay special attention to your meters for any special activity. Also, please feel free to take pictures of your surroundings, including what you'll find inside. Pay close attention to the pictures you take. You may find white spots that look a little like dust, but, in some cases, may be orbs, or the manifestation of the many apparitions that roam these parts."

Mindy rolled her eyes and looked to Danny for a mirrored expression of exasperation. Instead, she found that his eyes were glued to his EMF reader. She gently poked her elbow into his side in order to get his attention. He tore his eyes away momentarily, a flash of concern washed over his face before disappearing into an unconvincingly casual expression. "Oh, yeah, just…the lights on my reader thing spiked there for a second. No big deal."

Mindy raised her eyebrows, but said nothing as the crowd followed Abigail inside the fort. There was a continuous flash of lights from the cameras of those trying desperately to capture some sort of paranormal sign. They entered a room that contained an illuminating glass display case. Inside the case sat an old, strange-looking doll in a significantly aged, almost manila-colored sailor's uniform. The doll itself was holding some sort of stuffed animal and had an unsettling serene smile on its face. It appeared to be surrounded by a bunch of letters.

Abigail stood in front tourists next the case. "This is Key West's very own celebrity, Robert the Doll. He was a gift to painter Eugene Robert Otto. Mr. Otto claimed that the doll had come alive more than once and neighbors of the family would talk of seeing the doll move from window to window in the house. When Eugene died in 1974, Robert was left behind and fell under the new ownership of a little girl who moved in years later. She, too, would claim that the doll came to life and attacked her and holds fast to that story until this very day."

When a person in the crowd asked about the letters, Abigail answered almost giddily, "Well, Robert is veeeery territorial. He believes that those who come to visit him in his home," she gestured gallantly to the space around them, "should pay their respects to him. It is well documented that those who fail to thank Robert for his hospitality soon fall under bad luck. These letters are from visitors from all around the world, either paying their respects or telling tales of their misfortune after their skepticism got the best of them. That's why we should all take a moment to say, as a group, 'thank you, Robert!' C'mon, let's try it."

Most of the attendants began to thank the doll enthusiastically. Mindy could barely contain her disbelief.

"Oh, _come on_ ," Mindy whispered.

She turned to Danny and could faintly hear him say under his breath, "Thanks, Robert, buddy."

Mindy's mouth dropped. "Danny! Are you seriously falling for all of this?"

Danny looked around, as if to make sure that they weren't being heard. "Look, I'm not saying that I definitely feel like this stuff is real or fake. I just...don't like to underestimate certain phenomenon, that's all."

Mindy narrowed her eyes. "How do I not know this about you? So, you think there can be ghosts?"

Danny shrugged. "Maybe, I don't know."

"Aliens?"

"Probably not."

"Loch Ness Monster?"

"There's a high likelihood that Nessy is real." Something suddenly caught Danny's attention and a he began lifting himself on his toes, as if to be looking over someone's shoulder, then dropped to his feet and looked to Mindy with shocked eyes. "I just saw an orb in that picture the lady took. She caught a fuckin' orb!"

Mindy snickered loudly, then hooked her arm around Danny's and pulled him in step next to her as the group migrated to the next display room. "Like I said, my hand is always available to grab."

"You are having far too much fun with this," Danny accused.

"Oh, I am."

* * *

Hours later, while Mindy was trying to fall asleep, there was a scrape at the sliding door leading to the balcony. She lied perfectly still, though her eyes were wide open and darting continuously in opposite directions. There was a tree close to the balcony, right? She hasn't visited the balcony yet, but she could have sworn she remembered seeing a dangling tree branch just over the railing when they first arrived…or maybe she made that up.

The scraping reminded her of the story behind one of the neighboring mansions, which was now some sort of art gallery. The man of the house decided to go on a voyage at sea and came back almost four months later and a metal hook for a hand, which he supposedly used to terrorize everyone in the house until they all were driven insane and, one-by-one suffered very mysterious deaths. Like all of the other ghost stories, many locals claim to hear the sound of the hook scraping against the windows of the mansion, or any of the other neighboring residences. Mindy wondered if they scraping they heard sounded anything like what she was hearing at her balcony door…

"Okay, that's dumb," Mindy assured herself out loud. She flipped over, her back to the balcony, and attempted to go back to sleep. It was then that she heard something crash in bathroom, which caused her to jolt upward and emit a short, strangled yelp. Her heart pumping, she sat utterly still and listened carefully for any other sounds. She heard none and after a while, she carefully got up and padded across the wooden floor to the bathroom. Mindy slowly opened the door (making sure to note the dramatically creaking hinges) and carefully peeked inside to see that her hair products, once perched on the ledge of the shower, had fallen onto the porcelain bottom. She looked around, found nothing else out of place, and let out a calming sigh.

"That ghost tour was an awful idea," Mindy said decidedly to the empty room. She picked her fallen shampoo and conditioner and deposited them back on the ledge. Moments later there was a knock at the door. She opened it immediately to find Danny standing there with his puppy-eyed look of concern, clad in a plain black t-shirt and blue plaid pajama pants. There was a thin sheen of sweat just at his hairline and his breath just slightly heavier than normal.

"Are you alright?" he questioned firmly. "I thought I heard you scream and something fall. Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Danny," Mindy assured him calmly. "My hair stuff fell in the shower and it shocked me, that's all."

"Oh." Danny seemed a little more relaxed, but still on edge at the same time. "Okay, good. So, you're fine?"

Mindy narrowed her eyes, watching Danny lean against the door frame. "Uh, yeah, I'm okay…are _you_ okay?"

"Of course, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Danny countered quickly.

"No reason," Mindy said casually, crossing her arms over her chest. "I mean, you may seem a l _ittle_ edgy, but other than that…"

Danny tried to chuckle, but it sounded strangled and resulted in a slight cough. "Nah, I'm good. I mean, there are a few weird noises coming from outside of one of my windows, but it's no big deal."

"I heard something outside of my window, too!" Mindy replied, though she made it sound like more of a pleasant coincidence than a worrisome phenomenon. "It was like a scraping. It kind of reminded me of the-"

"Hook hand!" Danny interjected swiftly, then tried to scale his reaction back. "Yeah, I mean, it reminded me a little of that, too."

Mindy was having a difficult time not dissolving into a pile of laughter at the sight of Danny Castellano, a man who was prepared at any moment to explain in detail just what makes a man a "real man," genuinely spooked by a collection of very colorful tall tales. It was hilarious and endearing all at the same time.

"I'm just saying that if you were..." Danny waved a hand while searching for the right words, "frightened or whatever, and you needed company…"

Mindy immediately understood what he was offering and as transparent as it was, she found it hard to deny him, especially as the sweat became more present and, despite his best efforts to sound casual, his voice began to crack just a little.

"Danny," she said calmly, making direct eye contact with him. "I am very scared. I would be forever grateful if you stayed with me tonight, or at least until I fell asleep, if you prefer."

Looking visibly comforted by the request, Danny replied, "Yeah, yeah, that's no problem, Min. I can stay here, if you need me to." Without further hesitation, he blew past her and entered the room, looking around. "It looks like you have a lot of room by the bed." He walked over to the side next to the balcony door, surveying the area. "Yeah, I can camp out here."

Mindy looked at him in exasperation. "Danny, you know I'm not going to let you sleep on the floor. Why do you even play this game? This bed is huge; you'd have more than enough room without catching any of my cooties."

Danny looked up at her. "No, I'm not worried about that, I just…didn't want to crowd you or…"

"You're fine," Mindy insisted as she eased back into her bed. "I think it's physically impossible to crowd me on this gigantic bed. C'mon, quit being crazy." She peeled back the covers on the other side and patted the empty space, encouraging him to lie down.

He paused for a moment, then finally took his place on the bed, gingerly situating himself underneath the covers. They both relaxed onto the mattress, Danny on his back and Mindy on her side, facing him.

"Danny?"

"Hmm?"

"Today was a lot of fun."

Danny half-smiled, then turned his head in her direction. "Good! It was fun for me, too."

"I read somewhere that the ghosts that roam the planet haunt the places where they feel they left behind unfinished business," Mindy stated very suddenly. "Do you think that's true? I mean, you don't hear of any ghosts hailing from somewhere else, like New Orleans, and coming to spook the people of Manhattan for, like, a change of scenery or something."

With a short chuckle, Danny replied. "I don't know, Mindy, I haven't talked to any ghosts lately, so I can't be sure of what their motives are."

Mindy plucked his side playfully in retaliation for his sarcasm. "I hope it's not true. If I get to be a ghost then I want to be able to choose where or who I haunt because trust me, if given the choice, I'm gonna haunt the crap out of you."

"Oh, is that so?" Danny perked up, propping his head up with his hand as he shifted on his side.

"Oh, definitely. If I die before you, for some tragic reason, I'm going to make my presence so known in your life. I'd rearrange all of your movies in order of their Rotten Tomatoes ratings, I'd steal all of your French toast, even if I can't eat it –"

"That's mean," Danny interjected.

"And I'd pour all your scotch down the drain."

"Oh, see, now you're going too far."

Mindy giggled. "Ghosts have to be a nuisance, Danny. Sorry to break it to you, but you'd be stuck with me."

Danny looked at her for a moment, not saying a word. He simply smiled, then eventually gave the tiniest of shrugs. "I've heard of worse fates."

Mindy tilted her head with an amused smile. Danny's subtle sweetness was something that she always had difficulty responding to. It was the quickest way to render her speechless. Still smiling, she settled herself on her side, even deeper into the mattress.

Danny cleared his throat, then turned onto his back. "Alright, let's get some sleep."

"'kay," Mindy agreed. "And thank you again…for staying with me, y'know."

Danny turned his head once again, and after a moment Mindy could tell that he was very aware of her charity in this situation. He hadn't fooled her and he knew it.

"You can't tell a soul," Danny commanded with a point.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I'm telling everyone."

Danny sighed. "Yeah, I figured."

* * *

The next morning, Mindy slowly came to consciousness as the morning sun crept through the windows. She became acutely aware of two things: the first being the way the bed dipped on the other side, a telltale sign of a bedmate, and the second being the way her ankle was sandwiched between Danny's calves. She then could feel the hot air expelled from his nose graze the back of her hand that rested between them. If they had managed to get any closer in the middle of the night, they would surely be cuddling…and she was surprised at how comforted she felt by all of it. All in all, it was just nice to have him there. It was a very comforting image to wake up to.

She didn't want him to wake up with her foot in between his legs, though. While she didn't mind, she wasn't sure how he'd react. Trying not to wake him up, she gently slid her foot from between him. In the process, however, her knee grazed his pajama-clad thigh. It was enough to nudge him, albeit reluctantly, out of his slumber. He squirmed just a little bit without making any substantial movement, remaining close to Mindy as his eyes alternated between squeezing shut and blinking open.

"Sorry," Mindy apologized softly.

"No, no, it's fine," Danny replied with a groan, his eyes remaining shut. "Good morning, by the way."

"Good morning. Do you want to grab some breakfast?"

Danny let out another groan before responding. "Yeah, we can, but can I confess something?"

Mindy shifted more comfortably on her side, bringing her a fraction of an inch closer. "Sure. What?"

Danny's eyes fluttered, then settled until they were heavily lidded and peeking up at her through his lashes. "If I have to have another pastry for breakfast," he said huskily, "I'm going to flip that breakfast table over, Hulk-style."

Mindy snorted, then gave a lilting laugh.

"I'm serious, Min, I can't do it for one more morning," he insisted, though he was chuckling. "Three days is enough. Can we please get some real breakfast? It'll be on me."

"Sure," she agreed while reigning in her laughter. "I spotted a really cute diner not far from here. We can walk there and get you some sausage or biscuits and gravy or something."

"Bless you," Danny said with relief, then he tilted his head forward just enough to place a light, lingering kiss on the back of Mindy's hand. He remained there for half a second before his eyes seemed to widen in shock by his own bravery. Mindy's breath stilled and her heart raced. It was a gesture that existed outside of the established boundaries of their friendship. He would maybe give her a friendly kiss when she was particularly upset. She might kiss him on the cheek if she was especially proud of him or grateful to him – or after a round of quickly consumed alcohol, apparently – but a tiny kiss just after waking up in bed together, an intimate confirmation of proposed breakfast plans…that was something new.

Mindy liked it. She liked it a lot. And he already looked terrified and she found that she didn't want to react in a way that would discourage him from doing something like that again…because she really, _really_ liked it.

 _Oh, wow_ , she thought. _Okay, well…there's that._

With a tiny smack of his lips, Danny pulled away from her hand and searched her face for any signs of discomfort.

Mindy gave him a warm smile, then asked, "Can I get, like, a pile of bacon? No fruit, no fiber, just bacon and something covered in powdered sugar? Judgment free?"

Danny laughed as a look of relief washed over him. He nodded against the pillow. "Whatever you want."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story of Robert the Doll is a real one. You should look it up! What I included in this story was an abridged version. The ghost tours are interesting. LOL! The other ghost stories included in this chapter are made up, but there are hundreds over stories like these on that island, so I wouldn't be surprised if you found anything similar to what I've included.


	9. Chapter 9

"You have to choose one for each, Danny. That's the rules."

"I don't like these rules! They seem kind of extreme."

"That's the point! It forces you to make tough decisions. We have to make tough decisions _all the time_ as doctors."

"Yeah, and those decisions are a matter of life and death. This, however – what was it? 'Bang, Marry, Kill' – is silly."

Danny speared a waffle piece with his fork while Mindy took a sip of her orange juice.

"Games by their very nature are silly, Danny," Mindy stated. "It's just silly fun."

"How is wanting to kill someone 'silly fun'? And if I ever came to you and told you that I wanted to bang someone, you'd call me a pig for the rest of the day." He punctuated his point by yanking the waffle piece off the fork with his teeth.

"My God, Danny," Mindy groaned as she leaned back in her seat and rubbed her eyes in irritation. "Fine. I will lame it down for you. Out of the three women I mentioned who would you…have relations with, marry, and – I dunno – leave in the corner and ignore, I guess?"

Danny swallowed and grabbed his mug of coffee. "I'd have relations with Christina Hendricks, marry Michelle Obama, and leave Betty White circa 1940 in the corner."

"Wow, Danny, that's a game changer!"

Danny shrugged. "I'm into women of power, what can I say?"

Before Mindy could question him any further, their server returned to the table to check on them.

"Is everything alright here?" the young man asked politely.

"Everything's great!" Mindy replied enthusiastically. The man nodded his approval and was about to walk off when Mindy stopped him. "Hey, I have a question. We're visiting for a few more days and were wondering, what things should we absolutely do while we're here?"

"Well, there's Mallory Square for the Sunset Celebration," he began instantly, ticking the points off with his fingers as if he was asked this very question on a daily basis. "There's the beach, of course-"

"Ugh, not for me," Mindy grimaced. "Sand is the devil's work."

"Okay, well, there's also ghost tours, getting authentic key lime pie and conch fritters, the Museum of Art and History, any of the booze cruises –"

Mindy immediately perked up. "I'm sorry. Did you just say 'booze cruise'?"

The server nodded and smiled. "Those are pretty popular, obviously. For, like, fifty bucks per person you sail out for a couple of hours and drink booze, eat, hear live music, and watch the sunset. It's pretty cool. Tonight would actually be a great night; the weather's gonna be perfect."

He began clearing some of Mindy's empty dishes as she leaned forward. "DannyDannyDanny, we _have_ to do the booze cruise thing!"

"Wow, you have no intentions of slowing down just yet, do you?" Danny asked, looking humored. "Can your poor liver handle it?"

"Hey, I could be so much worse!" Mindy defended. "Besides, we'd have now until sunset to recuperate. I mean, can you think of anything more Diddy-esque than partying on a cruise at sunset?"

Danny's eyebrows furrowed. "I dunno. Why don't you first explain what 'Diddy-esque' means?"

"Danny, we've been through this at least four times. I can't find the energy to explain this to you again, nor do I have any of my visual aids handy."

"Okay, whatever. So, you really want to do this booze cruise thing?"

"Yes!" Mindy replied enthusiastically. "It would be such an amazing time."

Danny gave a small smile, then let his fork drop onto his nearly empty plate with a _clang_.

"Alright, sure. Fun and partying is what vacation is about, right? Let's do it."

Mindy grinned and clapped with excitement. "Danny, tonight is going to be something epic, I feel. We are going to party in style with the best of them!"

* * *

"Okay, so this is definitely a learning experience," Mindy observed as they sat at a small table under the covered area of the vessel. "By 'cruise' they just mean a regular boat, 'booze' is just code for multiple pitchers of the same margarita, and their version of food is cold cuts, cheese cubes, and mediocre chicken wings."

Danny found Mindy's disappointment to be a little misguided, but somewhat adorable. "Oh, c'mon, Mindy, this is a nice catamaran. Were you really expecting a cruise ship to haul around a small group of drunks for two hours?"

Pouting, Mindy shrugged. Danny laughed.

"Hey, this is still pretty cool. The margaritas are good, the band is pretty lively, and we're on a nice, clean boat in the middle of the ocean, waiting for the sun to set. I mean, look around you. How can you even be upset on a night like this?"

Mindy appeared to be thinking for a moment, then looked around her at the people who had joined them on the cruise. There were people ranging from young adults to senior citizens and they were all drinking, laughing, and having a great time. The band on the deck was comprised of four middle-aged men wearing straw hats as they played a selection of island music. The atmosphere was light and fun and, just like their server predicted that morning, the weather was gorgeous. She turned back to Danny as an appreciative smile crept across her face.

"You're right, Danny," she agreed. "This may not be what I pictured, but this is still cool." She picked up her red plastic cup and lifted it up towards Danny, waiting for him to join her with his own beverage. "To Vacation Danny, my holiday spirit guide."

Danny chuckled as he lifted his cup to tap Mindy's. "I don't know about all that, but cheers, nonetheless."

They both took a sip and looked out at the deck. There were couples dancing to tune created by the steal drum and bass guitar. Danny thought some of them looked very intoxicated, which he could understand, as there were crew members walking around with pitchers, policing the passengers to make sure that nobody had an empty cup in their hands. He wondered for a moment how many of these people were here to celebrate honeymoons and anniversaries. Some of them just looked so in love. He was sure that the flowing alcohol may have been playing a major part in that. Still, it was really heartwarming to see.

He turned to Mindy to find her staring at the couples, as well. Her expression was unreadable. He hoped that seeing all the couples didn't put her in a bad head space. The day had been so enjoyable, from shopping to experiencing key lime pie on a stick, and he didn't want anything to mess it up now. They had maintained a certain ease from the moment they woke up.

Danny thought about that morning again, for the umpteenth time that day. Waking up to Mindy was something that he would not forget any time soon. More importantly, he didn't _want_ to forget it. He wanted to remember it often and experience that warm, numbing feeling in his chest again and again. The look of her mussed hair, her sleepy eyes, and her lazy grin did something to him, something that he never allowed himself to dwell on. The kiss had been an accident (a happy accident, but still an accident), a result of still being very sleepy. This was still his best friend, after all – a best friend who was witty and funny and cared too much about things that weren't her business and looked incredibly enticing in just about everything she wore. Now, for instance, she looked incredible in her boldly printed pastel-colored maxi dress, even though his view of it was mostly obstructed by the table. Her ability to look amazing in clothing that most women would look terrible in was something that astounded him. She knew what worked for her, and he was beginning to accept just how much it worked _on him_.

 _I'm in trouble_ , he thought, still staring in her direction.

"Can I top you guys off?" Danny snapped out of his reverie to find an upbeat crew member with long red hair poised with her pitcher, ready to pour.

"Please do," Mindy replied, holding out her cup. The woman refilled her cup quickly, then turned to Danny, who gave her a short nod. Once his cup was full, he thanked her just before she walked towards another table of people.

"At least they aren't skimpy on the on margs," Mindy pointed out. "I was barely finished with my last one."

"Yeah," Danny replied plainly.

Mindy took a large sip from her cup. Her eyes widened and she took a hard look at her drink. "Oh, this is a potent batch."

"Oh, yeah?" Danny drank from his own cup and immediately understood her meaning. The tequila was very present as it burned his throat. He didn't mind it; he just wasn't prepared for it. "Wow, okay, now I see why how these people got drunk so quickly."

"Right?! Danny, promise me that no matter how drunk I get that you won't let me limbo." She tilted her chin towards a crowd of people on the deck who were stationed close to the band. Two male crew members held a limbo stick while a group of middle-aged women flirtatiously bent backwards to walk underneath it, shimmying more than necessary.

The pair laughed as another crew member approached the table. This one was tanned and muscular with long hair that was pulled back in a ponytail. Danny noticed how much attention he had been getting from some of the single passengers, both female and male, ever since they boarded the boat. He flashed Mindy a dazzling smile as he leaned close to the table. Danny immediately felt uneasy. "Did I hear you say that you didn't want to limbo? C'mon, where's your spirit?"

Mindy grinned politely. "Oh, I'm plenty spirited, trust me."

"Well, if I were a betting man, I'd bet that you could out-limbo just about anyone here…anyone except me, of course."

"Ugh," Danny groaned into his cup, his eyes rolling in disgust. The crew member appeared not to notice.

"Care to make a bet?" the crewman offered. "If you win, I'll gift you a shot of anything from the Captain's stash. If I win, then you have to tell me your name."

Danny wanted to interject. More than that, he felt a rising urge to yank the man by his ponytail and throw him overboard. What bothered him most - more than the fact that this guy swooped in under the assumption that Mindy was single and not, in fact, with the man she had obviously boarded the cruise with – was that he was definitely Mindy's type: a pretty boy, strong-looking smooth talker with a winning smile. Even though she said she wasn't interested in hooking up with anyone during the trip, if there was any man that would peak her interest, it would be this Adonis-looking slimeball.

To his surprise, Mindy gave the man a look of confusion rather than flattery. "For starters, I feel very uncomfortable with the idea of the Captain, responsible for safely sailing this boat, having a stash of alcohol on said boat. Secondly, I'd really rather just sit here and enjoy the forthcoming sunset with my very handsome boyfriend." Then Mindy reached out and covered Danny's hand with her own. Without thinking about it, Danny flipped the hand over in order to grab hers more securely, holding it while his thumb grazed her fingers. Mindy's eyes lit up and she smiled graciously at him, ushering in that familiar warm feeling in his chest. He made no attempt to prevent the beam spreading across his face.

Danny didn't remove his eyes from Mindy, not even to look at the crewman as he sloppily apologized. "Oh, wow, I'm, uh, really sorry. I was just – your girlfriend's – you have an attractive girlfriend –"

Danny lifted Mindy's hand to his lips and placed a kiss on the back of it, still looking at her all the while. He could hear Mindy sucking in her breath. "Go away, man."

The tanned crew member immediately departed from the table, leaving Danny and Mindy alone. Neither person moved to let go of the other's hand.

"Was the kiss too much?" Danny asked, though he was still smiling.

Mindy shook her head. "No, it was a nice touch." Her tone had taken on a breathier quality, which made Danny feel a little lighter in the head. He hoped that had more to do with her and less to do with their strong margarita. "Thank you for playing along, by the way. I know I should have asked –"

"You never have to ask, Min," Danny assured her, squeezing her hand. "Never. Got it?"

Mindy bit her bottom lip (damn her!) and nodded. She looked out at the deck. "Hey, I think the sun's about to set soon! Come on."

Mindy stood up, still holding Danny's hand, and dragged him upward until he was standing. She led them from the covered area and to the stairs leading up to the deck. Once there, she walked them over to the railing. Much to Danny's disappointment, she let go of his hand and drained her cup. He did the same, grabbed her empty cup and joined it with his just before handing them off to the nearest employee. Mindy leaned against the rail, crossing her arms over it and looking out at the sea. Danny shared her gaze, watching the sunlight dance across the water's surface. It was definitely lower than it was minutes ago, its orange brilliance radiating against the darkening sky. He felt so lucky to be able to share this moment with the woman next to him. What did he do to deserve such good fortune?

"Elliot's brother sent me a really mean message on Facebook two nights ago," Mindy revealed suddenly. Despite the news, her voice remained serene. She even still had a hint of a smile.

Danny's head snapped back in shock at her choice to share such information at that moment. "Really? Is that why you were so upset and left the club?"

"Mostly," Mindy confirmed, though the look on her face conveyed that there was more to that answer than she was willing to share. "He talked about how Elliot was in bad shape and how I was to blame for that. He even started the letter as 'Dear Selfish.'"

Danny shook his head and turned to her. "Mindy, he's wrong," he said, his tone sincere. "You're not selfish, not in the least."

Mindy chuckled briefly, almost under her breath. "No, Danny, I'm pretty selfish. I don't see any getting around that."

"But Mindy-"

"Danny," she turned to him, her eyes insisting. "It's fine. Really. I'm selfish and right now, I'm absolutely okay with it. For years I spent most of my time pretending to be okay with every little thing he did, said, and suggested just for the sake of not appearing selfish. I got so good at pretending that I somehow managed to convince myself that it was a good idea to marry this man. Danny…I could be on this boat with Elliot right now, not enjoying my honeymoon and worrying about how I plan to fake happiness for the next few decades. I could be on this boat, stuck."

Danny stared at her with soft eyes. He was so glad to not hear any regret or pain her voice.

"Instead, I chose me. I did the selfish thing and chose my happiness above his. I took our honeymoon and turned it into a completely self-serving trip and I could not be happier that I chose to be selfish, truly, for the first time since meeting Elliot. I just haven't been this happy in a really long time. Even better, I'm here on this catamaran, watching the sunrise with a stomach full of questionable margaritas after a day of shopping and sun and just enjoying my life…and, best of all, I get to do it with you. How incredible is that, Danny?"

He was beyond touched, and the warm feeling in his chest spread throughout his body. The combination of her dress and hair fluttering in the evening air, the smell of the ocean, and the scent of her perfume overwhelmed him in a way that compelled him to wrap an arm around her shoulder. Her immediate response, her wrapping her arm around his back and tucking snugly into his side, made his heart positively soar. He placed a kiss at the top of her head, then buried his nose into her lilac-scented hair.

"It's pretty damn incredible, Min." They looked onto the horizon as the sun descended. Danny took that moment to realize that he, much like the sun, was falling. Maybe that fact would scare him later. Right now, though…

"I'm really happy, too," he gently confessed to Mindy and the pinkish-orange sky.

* * *

At Danny's suggestion, they disembarked the cruise and walked around the town, looking for a place to eat. They strolled shoulder-to-shoulder, neither seemingly in any sort of hurry. Danny's hands were in his pockets while Mindy's arms were crossed. Danny wondered if it would be weird for him to grab her hand now, even after they had been walking for over ten minutes.

"Are you in the mood for anything in particular?" he asked, desperate to think of anything other than touching Mindy more decisively.

Mindy shook her head. "You know me, I'm always more sure of what I don't want to eat rather than what I do want. I know I don't want anymore seafood, nor do I want Mexican food."

"No seafood, no Mexican. Got it," Danny confirmed with a chuckle. They continued to walk until Danny's nose was assaulted with a combination of very delicious smells. _Garlic_ , he thought. _And rosemary_.

"Oh, wow," Danny sighed. "That smells incredible. Where is that coming from?"

Mindy squinted, then pointed at yellow house with an abundance out outside lighting. "I think it's coming from there, that house with the string of white lights. It doesn't look like a residence, though."

As they got closer, Danny could see a case attached to the fence with a menu on display. While it could pass as somebody's home, it was definitely a restaurant. Across the top of the menu read "Bettino's."

"Oh, this is like an old school Italian place. Min, this is going to be wonderful, I can tell. C'mon."

Danny grabbed Mindy's hand (ecstatic for an excuse to do so) and dragged her up the walkway as Mindy protested. "Danny, you know I'm not into Italian food!"

"No, you're not into Olive Garden. That has nothing to do with real Italian food. C'mon, just try it."

At the end of the walk there was a young hostess in all black standing at the podium. She had long, thick brunette hair that was braided into a side ponytail. Once she spotted them, she greeted them with a smile, which showcased a deep dimple in her left cheek.

"Welcome to Bettino's," she said with a thick Italian accent. "A table to for two?"

"Please," Danny replied.

The hostess bowed her head and grabbed two menus before leading them into the restaurant. While it definitely used to be a normal house, it had been gutted and remodeled into a very intimate eatery. There was just a few tables, all covered in linen and dressed with candles and a single rose in a vase. The floor was of a dark cherry wood and the lights were dimly lit. To Danny's surprise, there was only one other occupied table.

"Simona will be with you shortly," the hostess advised them as she led them to a table in the middle of the others. Danny pulled out Mindy's chair for her and waited for her to sit before grabbing his own seat. "My name is Gia. Can I get you something to drink?"

Danny looked to Mindy and asked, "Are you okay with wine?"

"I'm always okay with wine," Mindy answered confidently.

Smiling, Danny told Gia, "Two glasses of your best red, please."

Danny watched Mindy look around her at all of the homey touches throughout the dining area. The windows were fixed with simple linen and lace curtains and there were sepia-toned photographs hung on the walls, all of one family. Each photo showed different stages of the cooking process: picking tomatoes from a garden, an older man stirring contents of a large stock pot, a hefty woman in a head scarf cranking a pasta machine, and an entire family happily sitting at a fully dressed dinner table, looking proudly at their bountiful meal. In the far corner there was a small shelf mounted to the wall, holding a number of colorful Italian cookbooks.

"This place is so adorable," Mindy gushed. "I'm surprised there aren't more people here."

Danny looked around, then looked back at Mindy with a shrug. "I don't know, I kind of like that there aren't a ton of people here, y'know? It makes things feel more…uh…"

"Intimate?" Mindy supplied, looking somewhat bashful after saying that out loud. Danny felt his face begin to burn up, wondering if Mindy could see just how much an intimate moment with her would mean to him.

Thankfully, a woman arrived with two empty wine glasses and a bottle of red wine before he had to answer. The woman looked like a slightly older version of Gia, with the same thick brunette locks and a similar dimple in her left cheek. "Good evening! My name is Simona; I will be taking care of you tonight." She also had an Italian accent, but it wasn't as thick as her hostess counterpart. "Gia told me you wanted a glass of our finest red, correct?"

"Yes, thank you," Danny confirmed graciously. She set the glasses down before them and uncorked the bottle.

"This is bottled at our family vineyard. It's a favorite of Zio Bettino."

Danny leaned forward with interest. "The owner is your uncle?"

Simona nodded. "He's actually here tonight with his wife, Nia. They're preparing their selected specialties tonight, in case you were interested. Would you like some time to look at the menu?"

Mindy nodded and gave a polite smile. "That would be great, thank you."

"You're welcome! Please let me know if you need anything." Simona left the table as Mindy and Danny both took a sip from their glass.

Mindy sat for a moment, savoring the taste before saying with an impressed tone, "Oh, that is _good_."

Danny agreed, taken aback by its surprisingly sweet taste. "Yeah, this is a nice one. I'll have to ask about taking a few bottles home with me."

Mindy began to toy idly with the rolled silverware in front of her. "A few, you say? Do you plan on sharing with a lot of people?"

"Perhaps," Danny replied laughingly. "I don't know, Richie and Ma might like it the next time they visit."

"Oh, yeah?" Mindy leaned forward. "And the rando women? Might they like it, too?"

There was a certain brand of vagueness in her question that made him feel like he was being bated. He liked it.

"No, I think I'd rather save it for special visits, you know? Just for people that I really care about."

It looked like Mindy was struggling to mute one of her incredible smiles. Danny liked that he was the cause of that.

"Oh," she uttered. "Well…I think that's a good idea."

"Good. I'm glad you think so."

Danny smiled openly at her. Things between them were shifting, there was no question about that. He wanted to believe that Mindy noticed, too, but he didn't want to jump to any conclusions. He was no stranger to misreading certain signs from women and while he liked to think that he knew the woman before him better than almost everyone else in his life, there was still that possibility that he was over-romanticizing things. The notion frightened him.

Just then an older, round-bellied man approached their table. He had a wide smile that was accented by incredibly rosy cheeks. The chef's coat and hat gave Danny the impression that this man was Bettino.

"Hello," the older man hailed, his accent just as present as Danny imagined it would be. "I'm Bettino. I just wanted to welcome you both and see how you liked the wine."

Danny stuck out his hand politely, which the man eagerly accepted in a friendly shake. "Oh, wow, it's an honor. We loved the wine, actually. I was even wondering if it was possible to buy a few bottles to take home."

"Oh, sure, sure!" Bettino responded. "My Simona can take care of that for you whenever you'd like."

"Awesome, Bettino, thank you."

Bettino smiled at them both, the wrinkles at the corner of his eyes suddenly very prominent. "I'm glad to see such a beautiful couple with such wonderful taste in wine. Married?"

While Danny should have been able to answer that immediately, he looked to Mindy to see how she would respond. Had this been the beginning of the trip her denial would have been immediate. However, now there was a silence between them and Mindy looked as if she were wrestling with how to answer herself.

"Um, no, we aren't married," Mindy replied. "We're, uh…"

Danny, suddenly bolstered and in a mischievous mood, interjected with, "I brought her here tonight with the hope that I could finally, _finally_ convince her to marry me. She's turned me down at least nine times, but God help me, I just can't find it in me to give up yet."

Mindy's eyes grew to the size of saucers, but her mouth remained shut. Danny guessed that she was shocked by his gall.

Bettino looked to Mindy with an expression of sorrow. "Oh, Signorina, why won't you marry this man? He's handsome, he knows good wine when he tastes it…"

Mindy starred daggers into Danny as he smiled a smile that glowed of self-satisfaction. After a beat, Mindy returned his grin with an impish one of her own. "Well, Mr. Bettino, I think I just need a little convincing. Don't you think him treating me to the most expensive item on the menu would be a great expression of his love?"

Bettino let out a belly laugh and clapped a silent Danny on the back. "Oh, she's a clever one. My specialty tonight is a fresh seafood risotto. Very good. Very expensive."

"That sounds amazing, Bettino, I'll have that!" Mindy ordered excitedly, keeping her eyes on Danny.

Defeated, Danny smiled and shook his head. "I'll have the same, Bettino, thank you."

The man nodded and headed towards the kitchen with a laugh. Danny lifted his wine glass off the table, preparing to take another sip. "I thought you didn't want seafood."

Mindy shrugged. "I guess things change when you're improvising!"

"Touché, Lahiri, touché."

* * *

Almost two hours later Mindy and Danny remained at their table, laughing boisterously over empty plates and their second round of red wine. With the restaurant to themselves, they spoke at an obnoxious volume about so many inconsequential things. Danny found that he could have talked to her all night, which was a new feeling for him. He appreciated his silence and he teased Mindy often about her proclivity to talk nonstop, but in that moment he wanted nothing more than to just listen to her rattle on about anything.

"Danny, I think you've converted me…food wise, that is," Mindy admitted. "That was some amazing Italian food."

"You know I can make this for you whenever you want, right?" Danny informed her.

"Really?!"

"Yeah, of course."

"Great!" Mindy said brightly. "Next Thursday, then. I'll bring the wine."

"No need," Danny replied, staring into his empty plate. "I'll have plenty of wine to spare when we leave here."

A slow smile spread across Mindy's face. "I get the special wine?"

Danny had to chuckle at her. "Yeah, Min, you definitely get the special wine."

They sat for a moment, smiling at each other and not feeling a need to say anything. Their comfortable silence was broken by the sound of Bettino loudly singing along to the Italian music playing in the background. They could hear a woman giggling, then squealing as Bettino's singing became muffled. Danny turned towards the commotion and found the restaurant owner dancing with a graying woman wearing a chef's coat, presumed to be Nia. Bettino was planting a kiss on her forehead while he continued to sing and rotate the woman with a gentle sway. Her face finally came into view and Danny was touched by her peaceful, heavenly expression.

Danny turned back around and nodded his head towards the kitchen. "You know, they remind me a lot of my uncle, Romero and my aunt, Patrice."

"Oh, yeah?" Mindy took a final drink from her wine glass.

Danny nodded. "When Richie and I were kids they would host these Sunday dinners at their house, like, twice a month. We would be there all day while they cooked all this food. While they cooked, they would play music like this." Danny pointed at the sound system, which was still playing Italian, accordion-heavy music. "Aunt Patrice would try to prepare the chicken cutlets and my uncle would distract her by trying to get her to dance with him. She'd resist for about a moment before eventually caving. Every time, without fail, they would end up slow dancing in the kitchen for a long time while the food sat forgotten on the counter. They still do, to this day."

Mindy clutched her heart, looking absolutely awestruck. "Danny, that has to be the most beautiful thing I've ever heard."

Danny shrugged. "Yeah, I hated it."

"WHAT?" Mindy cried. "How can you even hate something like that?"

"It took forever for them to finally make the food!" Danny exclaimed, his hands up in defense. "I was just a kid and I was hungry!"

Mindy guffawed. "I can believe you were witness to one of the most romantic happenings you'll probably ever experience and you were against it because it was mildly inconvenient."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I hated it then, but I grew to appreciate it more as I got older. Now, obviously, I recognize it as something that I want. I want to be an old, wrinkly man who still dances with his wife in the middle of their kitchen when they're eighty."

Mindy looked at him in a way that made him feel rather naked, or like she was seeing him for the first time. With her mouth slightly agape and her eyes piercing, it was like she was trying to see inside of him. Then he realized that he had kind of bared a little of his soul to her just then, and the realization made it hard for him to breath.

The music continued to waft through the almost empty establishment and Bettino could still be heard humming to the melody. Suddenly, Mindy's hand was intertwining with his and she was standing to her feet.

"Come," she commanded simply. Without questioning her, Danny allowed himself to be pulled to his feet and led to an empty patch of floor close to their table. They stood in the space for a second as a tiny smile tugged at Mindy's lips. Then, she guided the hand that she was holding to her hip while she stepped closer and slid her hand up Danny's arm until it reached his shoulders. Danny immediately used his free hand to grab Mindy's, holding it close to his heart, and began swaying in time to the music.

Nervous and delirious all at once, Danny cleared his throat. "I, uh, I'm going to try my best not to sweat all over your pretty dress."

"Do I make you nervous, Danny?" Mindy asked in a low, but playful tone.

"Very," Danny answered frankly, with a laugh. "Tonight you do, at least." They continued to sway slowly in a circle.

"Well, you really shouldn't be, Danny. It's just you and me, dancing in an empty restaurant – "

"Surrounded by soft candlelight," Danny added. He slid his hand further around her back. The motion brought her closer to him.

"Yes, amongst the candlelight," Mindy agreed with an exhale.

"And the romantic music…" He gave a gentle squeeze to her hand.

Mindy nodded while the hand she had on his shoulder inched closer to the nape of his neck. "The music is way romantic."

"And you're looking so, so beautiful," Danny complimented in a hushed tone, no longer willing to keep it to himself. He brought her even closer to him. "You don't think I have cause to be nervous?"

Mindy looked into his eyes and her throat undulated as she swallowed hard. After a few seconds, she gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head. "Danny. You have no reason to be nervous."

Danny had no idea who moved first. All he knew was that he closed his eyes, inched his head closer to hers, and her soft lips were already claiming his. He gripped her tighter and inhaled her scent, wanting to involve as many senses as he could in an effort to cement this moment into his memory forever. Her skin burned through the thin material of her dress. She smelled of lilac and a little bit like the sea. He relished in the sound of her soft whimper entangled with the lilt of the mandolin through the sound system. He flicked his tongue across her bottom lip and tasted wine and something intangible that could only be described as "uniquely Mindy." Behind his closed eyes, he saw colors so blinding and brilliant that he never wanted to open his eyes again, fearing that once he did, those colors would be gone out of his life forever.

Danny released her hand in order to bury his fingers into her black, silken locks as the arm around her waist pulled her flush against his body. He could feel Mindy cup his cheek before eagerly dragging her hand to the nape of his neck, raking her nails through his thick hair and pulling him close. Danny hungrily nipped and sucked on her bottom lip and could hear how the action caused Mindy's breath to hitch, a sound that nearly caused his heart to beat right out of his chest. Mindy quickly responded with a tilt of her head and a lick of the seam of his lips until his tongue finally met with hers. The kiss became almost furious, fraught clashing tongues and gnashing teeth, until their mouths were almost rendered numb. Their surroundings were nearly forgotten until they heard a gasp from the back of the room.

Startled, Danny and Mindy broke apart with a smack of their lips and turned towards the kitchen door, still entangled in each other. Bettino and his wife stood at the door of the kitchen with Simona, all baring expressions of shock.

Bettino spoke. "Please, young lady. Please tell me you'll finally marry this man."

Mindy and Danny both chuckled breathlessly and turned back towards each other. Danny rested his forehead against Mindy's, his hand still buried in her hair, and thought he was going to melt into a puddle when he heard her say, "Right now, I'd agree to do just about anything he wanted."


	10. Chapter 10

This time around, as they walked back to Amelia Inn, there were no questions as to where his hands should go.

Elated, Danny strolled leisurely down the nearly empty sidewalk, a canvas bag carrying four bottles of wine in one hand while the other remained steadfastly intertwined with Mindy's. He had the added benefit of the feel of her other hand, which she had reached across her chest and in order to grip his bicep, like she was clinging to him for dear life. They wore twin lazy grins as they kept their gaze forward, silently agreeing to take the long way home.

Even as a doctor, a man in the business of science and the unpredictable human condition, it amazed him how so much could change in the space of twenty-four hours. Around this time the day prior he was roaming the town with his friend, unable to really translate his feelings and trying to focus on remaining a bastion of support for his friend. Now, they were operating under this newfound clarity between them.

He had kissed her. He had kissed her and her response was enthusiastic, to say the least.

Was this what he had to look forward to for the remainder of their trip, this new coupled behavior? Would the remaining days be filled with hand holding and laughter and making out and making lo-

 _Wait a minute_ , he thought as a strange feeling began to stir in the pit of his stomach. _Let's be rational._

He hated to do it. He loathed his inability to just bask in the moment. However, he couldn't allow himself to underestimate the power of soft lighting, mood music, and a notable amount of alcohol which, when combined, created a perfect storm for romantic entanglements. Is that all this was, a temporary entanglement that could unravel so easily with the dawn of a new day?

No, he decided. This was real for him. In fact, he was sure that it had been real for him for years, despite his inability to be forthright with his emotions. What he felt for Mindy has not, and could not, come close to what he'd felt for any other woman in his past. This was so much more than a vacation romp. This was grander than anything he'd ever experienced.

And he wanted nothing more than to believe that the same could be said for Mindy. It would elate him to know that they were on the same page, that the timing was finally right for them to explore a new facet of their relationship. He also felt that it would be foolish, however, to ignore the fact that they were walking the streets of Key West on a trip that was originally designed to be her honeymoon with another man. It would be irresponsible to not consider the possibility that this was just an opportunity for her to expel some excess energy and emotion during a time when she was most vulnerable. Most importantly, it would be dangerous to invest so much of himself – of his heart – in something that may just be temporary.

Suddenly that "newfound clarity" he had been so relieved to find felt like a thin veneer hiding a giant pile of confusion. That only thing that was clear to him was his feelings for her, but her feelings were still a mystery. He guessed that if she took the time to really examine what was transpiring between them, she'd feel just as clueless about her own feelings as he was.

Before he knew it, they had arrived at the inn. Mindy inserted her key into the house lock.

"Boy, I've never been happier to see this place," she said, followed by a brief chuckle. Danny couldn't miss the shaky quality of her voice, which made him even more hesitant. The door unlocked with an audible click and Mindy pushed it open, making sure to reach back and reclaim Danny's hand before entering the house. His excitement over the gesture was instantly overshadowed by a sudden attack of anxiety. As Mindy led him up the steps with purpose, he his feet felt heavy like bricks. He never wanted to reach the top of the steps; he wanted to go back to the restaurant and relive their amazing moment. But alas, they had reached her door and Mindy gave him a look that would have been his delicious undoing, had he not already been so bogged down with apprehension.

"I'm really glad I tidied up the room before we left," Mindy admitted with a little giggle. She started to fidget with her keys again and the sound of their jingling rattled Danny to his core. He jumped into action, giving Mindy's hand a gentle squeeze.

"Hey," he called quietly, hoping that his tone was the perfect mix of apologetic and casual. "I'm gonna head to bed."

"Yeah, ya are!" Mindy respond cheekily with a wiggle of her eyebrows. She returned to the lock on her door, tightening her already firm grip on him. Danny tugged her until she was facing him fully.

"No, Min, I mean I'm gonna to bed…in my own room, you know?" The upward inflection on the last word was meant to make the statement sound nonchalant, but the tiny break in his voice on the last word made him look more nervous than he cared to reveal.

"That's silly, Danny," Mindy dismissed with a small smile. "You were here just last night and it was fine…I dare say, it should be a lot more fun tonight…"

Danny feigned a light chuckle, which only exposed more of his nerves. "Nah, c'mon , it's late and we're both full of risotto and wine…Listen, I'll see you tomorrow. I'm probably gonna sleep through breakfast, but I'll come around later and see what you're doing, okay?" Mindy simply stood there with an expression of pure confusion as Danny let go of her hand in order to grab her should and give her a polite kiss on the cheek. Mindy reacted to the gesture at once, opening her mouth wide and looking absolutely indignant.

"Oh, you have _got_ to be effing kidding me right now, Castellano," she growled.

Danny's Adam's Apple bobbed as he tried to maintain their eye contact. "Wha-"

"You're running!"

"I'm not running, I'm tired!" Danny lied resoundingly.

"Yes, you are," she continued to accuse loudly, which caused a guest nearby room to poke her head outside of her door.

"Please shut up!" she barked. "Some of us have vodka to sleep off!"

Mindy shot an intense glare at the woman before finally unlocking her room door.

"Get in here right now, Danny," she hissed through her clenched teeth. She dug her nails into his bicep and dragged him into the room behind her, ignoring his clipped cursing of the physical pain she had inflicted on him. Mindy slammed the door and stood in front of it with her arms fiercely crossed, acting as a human barricade.

"Shit, Mindy, did you have to pierce my skin?!" Danny complained incredulously, rubbing the area gingerly.

"I cannot believe how much of an insensitive flake you're attempting to be right now!" Mindy plowed on, ignoring him entirely.

"How am I suddenly being insensitive or a flake?" Danny bit back. "I thought we could both use some time to cool off. We've had a lot to drink –

"Oh, BULLSHIT!" Mindy hollered. "We both know that neither of us are _that_ drunk right now, so save it. This is you running. I could tell from the moment you gave me that 'Goodnight, Grandma' peck on the cheek! Look, you do not get to kiss me within an inch of my life and then just retreat to your room in hopes that I'll disappear! I'm not some Spring Break bar skank."

"I know you're not some bar skank, Mindy!"

"Then what's the deal, Castellano? Why are you itching to run away?"

"How can I run away when I don't know what the hell I'm running from?!"

Danny's outburst was followed by a thick silence. Though she still looked very angry, some of the tension in Mindy's face seemingly evaporated. She left her post at the door and took a seat at the edge of the bed, placing her hands on her knees as she appeared to contemplate what he said. Danny closed his eyes and exhaled as he set the bag of wine in the middle of the floor. He walked around to Mindy's side and sat, leaving a couple feet of space between them.

"Tonight was amazing," he said softly, staring at the door in front of him. "I'm just not sure what…" he trailed off as he vaguely gestured between them, still not making any eye contact.

Mindy shook her head and let out a shaky breath. "Danny, why don't you save us both some time and just say it? If you want this to be a Key West fling, you can tell me. I'm a big girl, I can handle it."

The assumption offended Danny in a way he had not expected. He turned his body towards her and narrowed his eyes in disbelief.

"Do you honestly think I would treat you that way? Do you _really_ believe that's what I want?"

"What else am I supposed to believe?!" Mindy asked shrilly, her hands thrown helplessly in the air. "One minute you're hot – _really_ hot – and the next minute you're cold and all too eager to put as much distance between us as possible! I had to literally drag you in here when all you had to do was _talk to me_. God, just…" Mindy ran a hand through her long hair with a huff. "For once just ditch that air of brooding mystery, Danny. Tell me what it is that you want."

She turned more fully towards him, tucking her right leg underneath her while her left leg dangled over the edge. She began to wag her foot and Danny was unable to tell if that was a consequence of nerves or impatience. He clung to the idea of her being as nervous as he was and allowed it to influence his ability to talk candidly with her.

"Mindy…you have to understand that I only _just now_ allowed myself to think of you – of us – as something…" Struggling to find the right words, he blew out a frustrated sigh and rubbed the side of his face. "I know I'm not the most expressive guy in the world, but having to repress these feelings for years – _years_ , Mindy – and convince myself that what we have is enough…that has to be one of the hardest things I've ever had to endure. I was prepared to deal with it for the rest of my life if that meant keeping you around, but you calling off the wedding and us on this trip have worked together to chip away at that barrier that I've built up for so long. I wish I could articulate everything that I want, but going from thinking that we would never be a possibility to making out with you in public…that's a wide spectrum to cross in a short period of time and it's incredible and terrifying all at once."

Danny looked to Mindy, who was listening raptly. Her foot has stopped moving and her eyes were wide. Danny scooted a few inches closer and spoke more gently.

"Min, I want…more ghost tours and more long dinners. I want to kiss you in hundreds of cozy restaurants and watch thousands of sunsets. I want to wake up next to you in the morning, make you pancakes, and then hold you hostage in my bed for the rest of the day. I want to hold you, Mindy! I want to _really_ hold you surround myself with you all the time. I just…you. I want you, _all_ of you, all the time.

"But I don't want all this in the wake of some traumatizing break-up, when you're vulnerable and possibly needing to blow off some steam. I don't want to have you one moment just for you to come to your senses later. And I definitely don't want to be the guy that takes advantage of you while you're away from home and not in your typical headspace. I'm not just thinking about me here; I'm thinking about you, too. You may think this is what you want now – and it's easy to feel that way in such a beautiful setting – and then get back home and realize that you need a fresh start by yourself. I can't _not_ have you for years, then have you for a few days only to lose you soon after. It's too much…and you mean way too much to me."

Danny could see the tears pooling in the corners of her eyes and wanted desperately to wipe them away, but he feared that touching her would break any resolve he had left, and he felt it important tat she make the next move. As hard as it was for him, he allowed a tear to fall and watched her with bated breath, waiting for her to respond.

"Danny, there's a lot that I haven't told you, y'know, about why I didn't marry Elliot."

Danny made no move, sitting perfectly still as he waited for her to continue. Mindy quickly swiped at her tears.

"Do you remember when I told you about the time that Elliot sabotaged my attempt to go to that sold-out Miley concert? I was so, so angry with him not just about the concert, but about his non-acceptance of me, in general. He would be so judgmental and stubborn and all I could think was, 'God, why can't he just make fun of me a little and then ultimately support me, like Danny?'"

Danny remained frozen, waiting for her to continue.

"And then," Mindy paused to sniffle, "we would fight about how he never made a real effort to meet my family. Meanwhile, I can't get you and Rishi to shut up for five minutes if you two are in the same room. The last time he visited, I just stood there and watched you two hang out and I kept thinking, 'See? Why can't Elliot have that type of friendship with Rishi? Why can't he make the same effort that Danny makes?' 'Why can't he appreciate simple pleasures the way Danny does?' 'Man, I wish Danny was here.'"

The tears started to trail down her cheek a little quicker, and Danny could no longer resist brushing her cheek with his thumb. She placed her hand over his until he flattened his palm against her dampened skin.

"There were so many moments like that, Danny…too many. And after a while I stopped feeling upset by the fact that we wasn't like you and started to feel sad that he just plain _wasn't_ you."

Danny thought he could feel his heart grow in his chest. It became harder to breath, but he didn't feel any discomfort. He simply felt desperate for her to finish.

"I tried to convince myself that it was just a case of cold feet, that I was looking for any possible out because I was scared. And then I walked down that stupid aisle and saw your _stupid_ face…"

They both let out a choked chuckle at that and Mindy pressed his hand even closer to her cheek.

"I couldn't do it! Not when I knew there was better - not when I knew there was you. Tonight on that boat I found so much peace with it all. It's not about wanting a release. If it was, I could have hooked up with a number of guys since we landed. Stop being so jealous, you weirdo."

He had hoped not to be quite so transparent, but the mention of other possible men did arouse a strong feeling of protectiveness. Thankfully, the laughter in her voice when he had been caught eased him considerably.

"I don't want a fling. I don't want a release. I want to kiss and spoon and touch and hold and do lots and lots of very bad things to and with my best friend. I want you, Danny…all of you, all the time."

Danny decided then that if he died in that moment, he would leave this earth the happiest man that ever lived.

He quickly closed the space between them, grabbed her face on either side, and pulled her close in order to plant his lips onto hers firmly. She squeezed his hands as she inhaled deeply and let his lips take their long-awaited, rightful claim. A part of Danny wanted to devour her, to escalate things to a feverish pace. The more dominant side of Danny wanted to just savor the feeling of being able to kiss his Mindy.

He felt her pull back just far enough to be able to speak against his lips. "So you'll stay?"

After two quick, but firm pecks, he pulled away to lock eyes. "I will, if you say it again."

"I said a lot tonight," Mindy said breathlessly with heavily lidded eyes. "What specifically?"

He dragged one hand to the back of her neck as he gave her a reply, fractured by tiny kisses along her jaw line."

"Tell me…again…that you stopped…the wedding…because…of me."

He could feel her fingers rove his scalp as he landed a handful of pecks on her throat.

"I mean it wasn't – _God_ , that feels amazing – it wasn't just you, Danny."

"Don't care, just say it," he commanded, his mouth full as he nibbled on the side of her neck.

The action caused Mindy to giggle. "Danny Castellano, you are the reason that I could not get married. You and your stupid, stupid face."

Danny pulled back with narrowed eyes to peer at her roguish smile. After a second, he eased his gazed and shrugged. "Good enough."

He dove onto the bed and quickly yanked her on top of him until he was drowning in her hair and laughter. Wrapping his arms around her waist and anchoring her to his body, he leaned upward and landed a kiss on the closest patch of skin within his reach, which happened to be her chin.

"I have a feeling that most of that wine won't make it home," Mindy sighed contentedly.

"That's alright. I wanted to share it with someone special, anyways."


	11. Chapter 11

She hoped that she would never grow accustomed to the feeling of Danny's skin against hers.

Mindy wanted every time together to feel like the first moment Danny's fingertips raked across her bare hips. She was desperate to recreate the way her breath caught in her chest whenever she felt him panting against her neck. She needed to feel the crushing weight of Danny's bare chest against her own, paired with the trail of heat she felt up and down her sides as his hands took liberties across her body. She never wanted a single touch, hitch of breath, or inflection of her voice to become commonplace.

Even now, with Danny spooned against her back and his muscled arms wrapped firmly around her midsection, such a common position felt so revolutionary, like she had finally recognized that she had been sleeping incorrectly all her life. This is how it should have always been: with Danny Castellano holding her close.

The sun was bold and invasive as it seeped through the curtains and saturated every inch of the room. She was clueless as to what time of day it was and, frankly, she was totally uninterested. Maybe it was sometime in the afternoon? Definitely past the inn's breakfast, not that she felt like she had missed anything.

There was a stirring behind her, followed by the tightening of the limbs just above her waist and the feel of soft butterfly kisses on her shoulders. Mindy thought there was nothing sexier in this existence than the shoulder kiss. It felt like an action that came from the other person's need to kiss any part of her they could reach. She thought that may be the case with Danny, who was leaving kisses on her shoulder, on the back of her neck, and in her hair. The smile on her face grew to an almost painful size.

"Min," Danny throatily called out. He planted another quick kiss against her ear. "Min, we've gotta get some food."

Mindy turned in his embrace, facing the man who had totally rearranged her world in a matter of hours…for _hours._ His sleep-disheveled hair, sleepy eyes, and lazy, satiated grin were seemingly working together to send her to an early grave, and she found that she didn't mind at all.

"Do we?" she challenged in jest. "That sounds like getting out of bed and putting on clothes...more specifically _you_ putting on clothes…and we have all this wine. Why leave?"

"Because wine is not a suitable breakfast - and before you say something offensive, no, not even for us Italians."

Mindy groaned, but the undercurrent of joy could not be missed as she inched her head closer to place a kiss on his pouty lips. "Hey, what time is it, anyway?"

Danny lifted himself up just enough to check out the digital clock on the stand behind her. He settled back down with a look of surprise.

"Wow, it's almost one," he informed her.

"Well, well, well," Mindy said teasing drawl, "It looks like you did sleep through breakfast after all."

Danny rolled his eyes. "That would be cleverly ironic had I actually slept. You're partially to blame for that."

"Are you complaining?"

"Not in the least." He cupped her cheek and kissed her languidly to cement his point, then stopped at the sound of one of their stomachs growling for mercy. With a groan, he pulled away decidedly. "Okay, I mean it. We've gotta stop and eat something. Do you want anything special? What did you want to do today?"

Mindy propped her head on her elbow, hovering just slightly over his head. "Let's just stay in. We've done so much already and Key West is only so big…plus, I really don't feel like sharing you at the moment."

Danny appeared flattered by the notion. "Is this more of those selfish tendencies coming to light?" Mindy bit her lip and nodded, which earned her another kiss on the lips and a squeeze of her hip. "Good. I like that."

He sat up and exited the bed with a bit of a hop, searching for his discarded clothing. Mindy made no attempt to conceal her ogling.

 _Ass of a Roman God, I swear_ , she thought with a salacious smile.

As he was pulling up his boxer briefs, Danny looked back and caught Mindy's gawking.

"It's rude to stare," he called over his shoulder with a self-indulgent grin.

"Oh, whatever, you love it."

"…Well, yeah, obviously."

He threw on the same clothes from the night before, which reminded him that he was in desperate need of his toothbrush and deodorant.

"I'm gonna to stop by my room and wash up a little," he informed her while sitting on the bed as she sat up, the comforter clutched to her chest. "Then I'll head out. Tell me what you'd like to eat. Anything you want."

Mindy thought for a brief moment, then resorted to the same post-sex cravings she'd always had. "Grease," she replied frankly. "And cheese. And bacon."

"I'll grab us a couple pizzas to get us through the day."

"Perfect."

He leaned over and gave her a parting kiss before standing up and heading towards the door. At the sight of him leaving, Mindy quickly decided to follow an impulse.

"Um, Danny?"

The man turned with his hand on the knob.

"Not to be crazy needy, but…are you planning on staying here tonight?"

There was a ghost of a smile on Danny's face when he replied, "I was, as long as it was okay with you."

"Of course," she assured him. "I was just thinking…you know, we have two more days here, and I don't anticipate wanting to be apart from you during that time…" She hated how clinical that sounded, but she couldn't think of anything more moving to say. Looking up to make sure that he wasn't offended, she was pleased to see him smiling warmly at her. She continued. "It just seems silly to continue to pay for a separate room when there's obviously a perfectly spacious one here...right?"

He looked like he was considering her for a moment, which made her nervous. She wondered if she had gone too far too soon, requesting that they share a room for the remainder of the trip. What once seemed logical now sounded like a desperate, clingy plea and she began to scramble for a way to take it back.

But before she could speak, the expression on Danny's face morphed from one of concentration to one of flattery. "Yeah, it does seem pretty dumb," he agreed softly. "Maybe I should grab my stuff and drop it off here before I go out?"

Relieved, Mindy beamed brightly. "Yeah, maybe you should."

"…Alright, then."

"Alright, then."

* * *

Fifty minutes after his previous attempt to get lunch (only six of which were spent packing up his neatly gathered belongings and moving them over to Mindy's room. The rest of the time was spent discovering just how insatiable he and Mindy were for each other) Danny was briskly making his way down the steps and towards the front office. There was something about knowing what he'd be coming back to that suddenly made him want to leap down the steps and sprint to the closest pizza place, not wanting to sacrifice a single spare second that could be with her.

He felt insane for a brief, fleeting moment until he remember all the nights be spent thinking about her, worrying about her happiness, and waiting for the day that there was room for him in her life again. This was the same woman whose number he would pull up on his phone after having one too many drinks, staring at it until he could properly talk himself out of calling her and saying something he would forever regret. This was Mindy, his best friend who just admitted that he had heavily influenced her decision to not get married. With that reminder, he didn't feel so crazy. In fact, he finally felt like he was on the right track.

Danny entered the office and found Collette at her usual station. She looked up from her computer screen and gave him a friendly smile.

"Hello, there!" she chirped. "We missed you guys the last couple of breakfasts. How are you both enjoying your stay?"

"Everything's been fantastic, Collette, thank you," Danny replied generously. "I wanted to go ahead and check out of my room."

"Oh, I thought you were staying the week," Collette recalled with a certain tone of disappointment.

"Oh, I am! It's just that Mindy and I thought it would make more sense to, uh – consolidate…ourselves." The explanation was accompanied by an awkward gesture of his hands, which were cupped and brought together until the fingertips touched. He grimaced at his lack of eloquence while Collette's kind smile turned into a knowing one.

"I see," she replied in a sing-songy voice. "Well, that certainly seems like a more logical idea. You were in the Ophelia room, right?"

Danny nodded as she began to type rapidly on her keyboard, grinning all the while. He might have felt more uncomfortable had Collette not looked so adorable. The sight of her happiness towards his and Mindy's new development, however, made him smirk to himself. After all, he wasn't embarrassed by anything.

"Okay, you are officially checked out!" Collette stuck her hand out with her palm facing upward. "Now if you'll just hand me your room and house keys, I'll be happy to swap you for a new and improved set."

Danny handed over the keys, which the ruby-haired woman promptly switched for another set with a hibiscus flower keychain.

"I truly hope you enjoy the remainder of your stay with us," Collette wished him before adding with a playful spark in her eyes, "and please tell your co-worker friend I said 'hello.'"

Danny could not resist laughing at her boldness and simply replied, "I will."

* * *

On his way back to the inn, two large pizzas (one topped generously with bacon) safely in his possession, his phone rang. He stopped walking for a moment to retrieve it from his back pocket and was happy to see his brother's name flash across the front screen. He answered speedily.

"Richie!"

"Danny Boy!" Richie greeted through the receiver. "How's your vacation going?"

"Oh, man, Rich, it's amazing." Danny was sure his brother could hear him smiling stupidly, but he didn't care. "I'm kind of sad that we have to leave soon."

"Yeah, that's Key West for you," Richie sighed. "Did you make it to Fat Tuesdays?"

"Boy, did we," Danny laughed. "I can't wait to tell you that story the next time I see you."

"Well," Richie began brightly. "You won't have to wait too long! Ramon and I are thinking of heading down there for the weekend. I convinced him that we need to get away for a couple days and he was only willing to go as far as a few hours away."

Danny perked up at the idea of seeing his brother so soon. "Yeah, you guys should come down! We could all hang out tomorrow night, maybe go out dancing!"

There was a silence on the other end until Richie asked, almost incredulously, "Wait, _you're_ suggesting the idea of going dancing?"

Danny furrowed his eyebrows. "I am, is that bad?"

"No, not at all! Hey, how's Mindy?"

The mere mention of her warmed his chest and quickened his step. "Aw, she's wonderful."

"…wonderful, you say?"

"Yeah, she's doing really great. She'll like seeing you again."

"Yeah, it'll be fun getting to spend time with you two. I'll call you tomorrow after we've settled into our hotel, alright?"

"Okay, man. I can't wait to see you!" Danny said, excited by the idea of hanging out with Richie as well as the sight of the quickly approaching Amelia Inn.

"Me too, buddy! Tell Min I said hello!"

"I will. Later, Rich!"

"Bye, Danny."

He hung up the phone and shoved it into his back pocket, making sure to grab the keys as he pulled his hand out. Being able to see his brother was certainly a nice surprise. Furthermore, he couldn't wait to have a serious brother-to-brother talk with him regarding his feelings for Mindy. Though he was younger, Richie had this amazing way of keeping things into perspective in a way that Danny simply couldn't at times, like when his emotions were high. Whether he was being unreasonable or if he was onto something truly great, Richie would keep it truthful.

He reached the heavy front door of the house, unlocked it smoothly, and entered while balancing the pizzas expertly. Upon entering, he immediately spotted something waiting outside of Mindy's – _their_ – door. He ascended the steps and quickly identified the object as an elaborate gift basket.

"What's this?" he asked, approaching the mystery gift. Inside cellophane-wrapped basket were a velvety box of truffles, champagne, champagne flutes, cheese, water crackers, shortbread cookies, crispy breadsticks, and some sort of gourmet mustard. Danny thought that the basket might have been left there by mistake, and then considered the possibility of Mindy ordering the basket for herself, which she had done more than once. He looked around the basket for some sort of card until he found a large Post-It note on the back. Danny read the loopy-lettered note scrawled on it:

_This was meant for another newlywed couple who cancelled their reservation last minute. Luckily it's a bad month for weddings. ;-)_

_Collette_

He shook his head and smiled fondly, silently praising the sweet, somewhat personally invested front desk clerk. Leaving the basket on the ground, he slipped the tiny copper key into the keyhole and finally unlocked his room. He opened the door to find Mindy diligently scanning the channels of the television with the remote. When she looked up at him with a welcoming smile, he marveling at how much the motion felt a lot like returning home.


	12. Chapter 12

As she lounged on her balcony's white Adirondack chair in the cool Key West morning air, Mindy felt a twinge of regret for not spending more time in that space during their stay. The view wasn't anything spectacular – it would have to be one breathtaking view to impress a city girl – but the simple backdrop of the rising sun gently licking the trees and surrounding white fences with its light was such a calming contrast from the usual distracting flash and buzz of home. The pool was pristine, the adorable garden was in full bloom, and the city just beyond the fence was docile, for the moment. She found it so much easier to think here.

Ever since Danny informed her that his brother would be visiting, she felt an inexplicable ball of anxiety form in the pit of her stomach. It seemed to overshadow the general flurry of excitement she felt whenever she learned that Richie would be in town; she had, after all, grown fond of the younger Castellano and the cheery, calming affect he had on Danny. Witnessing the unadulterated adoration they had for each other was always such a welcomed reminder of her relationship with her own brother. Any moment that the two Castellanos shared was a pleasure to observe up close, but this opportunity came with a lingering hesitation that she couldn't quite control, but also couldn't ignore.

Mindy heard the sliding glass door squeak open behind her. She turned around immediately to find a grinning, gently disheveled Danny closing the door easily. He leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss at her temple, emitting the faintest scent of peppermint toothpaste, then crossed in front of her to take a seat in the matching chair beside her.

"You know, I almost forgot there was a balcony," Danny said as he looked out at the pool.

"Yeah, I was just wishing I had spent more time out here. It makes me feel so outdoorsy."

"Min, you're on a covered balcony in a cozy chair, a mere foot away from all the amenities and air conditioning you'll ever need. How is this outdoorsy?" he challenged.

"Hey," Mindy pointed assertively, "I got bit on the foot by a mosquito and I think I may be a tad dehydrated. That's outdoorsy enough, especially having been wonderfully cooped up in this room for over 24 hours, got it?"

Danny chuckled, then leaned to the side and grabbed her hand, swinging their conjoined pinkies in the space between their chairs like a pendulum. "Alright, fine. You're a regular Jane Goodall. How's that?"

Mindy leaned her head back and simply smiled at him. His messy hair, relaxed eyes, and easy grin created such an uncharacteristically laid back image. "God, Danny, I could really get used to the vacation version of you. You're just so relaxed and compliant and super approachable."

"Hey, I'm approachable back home, too," Danny replied defensively. "I just don't like being approached with stupidity. Besides, I've always being really receptive to you coming to me about anything, haven't I?"

"Yeah, you have," Mindy conceded softly. Her eyes fell to their swinging hands and a soft smile played on her lips. "And you better be extra accessible to me when we get back home now, okay?"

Danny lifted their hands by his pinky and kissed the finger of hers nearest to his lips. "Deal."

He allowed their hands to return to the space between their chairs and looked back out onto the pool. "Richie and Ramon should get here around four. It'll be so great to actually hang with him like this. We haven't been on vacation together since we were kids. I really can't wait."

Mindy's eyes darted downward at the mention of Richie. The excitement in Danny's voice flooded her with guilt over her temporary inability to match his enthusiasm. Before she had a moment to fix her expression, she heard Danny ask tentatively, "Hey, what's wrong?"

She looked up and quickly plastered a bright smile on her face. "Nothing!"

"Don't lie to me."

 _Ugh. Best friends. Right_ , Mindy thought in defeat.

Mindy took a breath and tried to organize her worries, hoping to be able to talk through them comprehensively. "I love your brother, you know that."

"But?" Danny lifted his eyebrows cautiously while he patiently waited for her to elaborate.

Mindy adjusted the hand currently in Danny's possession so that she could thread her fingers through his more securely. "Danny, the past two days have been incredible. I mean, this _whole trip_ has been incredible, but this bubble we've created for ourselves since Thursday – since forever, probably – has been something so amazing and…and I'm not ready to leave it yet."

"Who says that we have to?" Danny's forehead was creased and his eyebrows were furrowed.

She began to adjust uncomfortably in her seat. "It's just that everything has happened so quickly. I'm fine with it, but I'm just so worried about someone coming in and…I don't know…talking sense into you, I guess? I'm nervous about anyone outside of us pointing out just how crazy all of this is and I'm even more nervous that you'll see it, too, and start to pull away. And I know how much you value your brother's opinion, which, by the way, I love about you guys. I'm just worried that he'll convince you that this," she said as she squeezed his hands for emphasis, "is a bad idea. I love Richie and I'm ultimately excited to see him. I'd just like to have you to myself for a little while longer before reality messes everything up."

Danny sat still, looking at her with concerned eyes. Realizing that she had finished, he took a look at there hands and shifted upward so that he could face more of his body towards her. "Mindy…you know I seriously love you, right?"

Mindy's eyes widened and she could feel her heartbeat suddenly racing, almost clamoring to beat out of her chest. "Uh, okay, do you mean like the way you always say you love me or, like, _in love_ with me, for realzies?"

Danny blew out a quick laugh. "The second one, the 'for realzies' one."

Stunned and mouth agape, Mindy struggled to find enough words to formulate a response. "But…wait, I mean…Danny…God, you don't even look the least bit shocked by it!"

"That's because I'm not," Danny explained with a shrug while maintaining an unruffled expression.

"How are you not freaking out right now?!" Mindy cried shrilly, flailing her free hand.

"Okay, your _yelling_ is kind of starting to freaking me out right now, Mindy, not how I feel," Danny countered a little louder.

Mindy closed her eyes and worked to calm herself down. "I'm sorry, it's just…Danny, this is a really big deal, a huge leap from where we were just days ago –"

"Not to me."

The simplicity in his statement stilled Mindy's breath almost as much at the revelation itself. She waited quietly for Danny to explain.

"If you really look at our friendship…I've always wanted to be there for you, always wanted to be the one that makes you smile. I've always credited you for making me a more thoughtful, appreciative person. You've made me so happy just by being my friend. I think I've always been in love with you to some degree. I'm just glad that I can finally allow myself to just _feel_ it fully and express it, you know?"

True to her nature, Mindy immediately felt swept away with emotion, tearing up almost against her own will. Danny leaned forward and wiped them away with the pad of his thumb once they started to descend down the crest of her cheek. "I'm not telling you all this in order to hear it back, I promise. I'm just saying that it would take a hell of a lot to shake me of my feelings towards you. My brother, nor anybody else, would be able to say anything that would convince me to feel differently. And Richie adores you, you know that. Why would you think he'd be against it?"

She really had no way of answering that question without voicing her own litany of insecurities. Instead, she just shrugged, feeling much better Richie's visit. "I'm just being weird."

Danny smirked. "So, nothing out of the ordinary, then?"

"Oh, ha ha ha. 'Mindy's crazy.' Very original, Danny." Mindy wiped away the residual tears and smiled affectionately. "I'm sorry. I'm really excited to see Richie. Seriously."

Danny smiled wide and leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on her warm lips. "Hey, how about we have breakfast on the balcony? You know, spend some time out here like you wanted to?"

Just then Mindy felt the annoying pinch of another mosquito on her forearm and smacked it ferociously. Groaning, she replied, "No, screw that. I'm over the outdoors, let's get back to civilization." She stood up, still holding Danny's hand, and led him back inside.

"Of course," Danny mumbled with a smug grin.

* * *

Richie and Ramon arrived late in the afternoon, just as Danny had predicted. The brothers engaged in their usual greeting ritual of hugging and profuse expression of love, leaving Mindy to meet Ramon for the first time. Ramon was about the same height as Danny with olive skin and dark, thick wavy hair with a thin fleck of gray just at his temple. His mint green V-neck shirt was just tight enough for Mindy to be able to make out his impeccable, muscular physique. A polite smile revealed almost glowingly white teeth. Mindy detected a very faint, but present, Cuban accent when he introduced himself. All of these components worked together to create one of the most handsome men Mindy had ever seen in the flesh.

"Wow, you're, like, superhumanly handsome," Mindy observed in awe. "You could be one of those shirtless Abercrombie models."

"Thank you, I appreciate that, actually," Ramon replied sincerely.

Richie stepped forward with outstretched arms and the telltale Castellano crooked smile. "Mindy, it's so good to see you."

Mindy accepted the hug, instantly feeling silly for her anxiety earlier in the day. "It's good to see you, too, Richie! And thank you so much for recommending Fat Tuesdays! Did Danny tell you that I made history there?"

Richie turned to Danny and rose his eyebrows in interest. Danny laughed and stepped next to Mindy. He placed a hand on her lower back. "Yeah, that's part of the story I meant to tell you, Rich. Wait 'til you see it. She called herself a trailblazer the entire way back to the inn."

Mindy looked up Danny and playfully glared at him for his teasing. She missed Richie's knowing glance towards their stance entirely.

"I _was_ a trailblazer, mister," Mindy responded insistently, though unable to completely filter out her affection.

"Oh!" Ramon piped up. "Are you two together? Richie never told me that!"

"Yeah, baby," Richie answered confidently, which surprised Mindy greatly, considering that her and Danny never officially defined the relationship. "It's new."

Mindy looked up at Danny expectantly, but was taken aback by the sight of him already looking at her with a warm, appreciative gaze. "I don't know, Rich," he replied, sounding like he was somewhere far away. "It's not that new."

* * *

After an early dinner, Danny made a reference to Richie's suggestion that they should visit Fat Tuesday's at least twice. Once they admitted to only experiencing the bar once, Richie and Ramon insisted that they all return to the establishment. Twenty minutes later, the quartet found themselves parked at different areas of the counter, sucking margaritas through hard plastic straw. Mindy and Ramon were talking animatedly at the end of the bar while Richie and Danny were stationed directly in the middle, engaged in a conversation made easier with the assistance of copious amounts of alcohol.

"So, a part of me can't help but want to know every detail of how you and Mindy finally got together," Richie admitted loudly over the loud buzz of the Saturday night crowd. "But I know you would never tell me, so just tell me this: are you happy? Finally?"

Danny kept his eyes forward while he replayed the events of Thursday night, as well as the entirety of his Mindy's day spent in their room the day prior. He smiled reflectively. "Yeah, I'm finally happy. Really happy. Deliriously happy, Rich."

Richie blew out a combination of a breath and a chuckle. "Wow, okay, so it's safe to say things are going well?"

Danny nodded, then looked at Richie with cautious eyes. "Do you think I'm crazy, that _we_ _'_ _re_ crazy? You know, considering everything that's gone on?"

Richie took a long sip of his drink. "Of course, you both are crazy. Anybody in love is crazy."

Danny furrowed his eyebrows at Richie's answer. "What do you mean? Aren't you in love with Ramon?" Danny took a moment to look down the bar at Ramon and Mindy. Mindy seemed to be illustrating her historic moment at the bar with her hands, clearly pantomiming drinking from a funnel. Ramon looked enthralled by the reenactment.

Laughing, Richie replied, "Of course, I'm in love with Ramon. I'm just as crazy as you."

Danny was about to accuse Richie of being too intoxicated when he continued. "Falling in love is the craziest thing that we can do as humans with half an ounce of common sense. I mean, I don't know a single person who hasn't experienced heartbreak at some point in their lives. You would think that knowing that that kind of pain exists would keep us from doing it ever again, kind of like burning our hands on a hot stove, you know? But somehow we allow ourselves to fall anyways, knowing that the other person could obliterate our heart, knowing that we could totally fuck things up ourselves…we invest so much without the guarantee that this is the right path, based simply on our faith in that other person and a belief that everything will fall in place the way we _feel_ it's supposed to. It's insane. It's absolutely beautiful, but it's pretty insane."

Staring at his younger brother, Danny marveled at the depth of his insight. "I can't tell if you're really wise or just really tipsy."

"Probably a little of both."

The men laughed as Danny set his drink down, crossing his arms and leaning on the bar's surface. "So, you don't think I'm going about this the wrong way? I know it seems pretty sudden for Mindy to get involved again so quickly-"

"Danny, I thought you were crazier for allowing things to get as far with that guy as they did," Richie interjected. "I couldn't believe that you let her even make it to the church, let alone walk down the aisle. I've seen you ready to storm the Yankees headquarters when there were rumors of possibly trading CC Sebathia, and you _barely like_ that guy. You two always belonged together; Ma and I had plenty of conversations about it."

"You and Ma talked about it?!"

"Extensively," Richie replied plainly. "And you have no idea what it took for me to keep her from interfering, because she was more than ready."

A sudden deep yelp came from Mindy and Ramon's place at the end of the bar, causing Danny and Richie to snap their attention towards the source. It looked as if Ramon was reacting unfavorably to the familiar-looking rainbow colored shot. Mindy thumped his back while exclaiming, "I tried to tell you it was awful!"

Richie returned his attention to Danny, smiling and newly amused. "You'll never be bored. She'll be really good for you, Danny. I'm happy for you guys."

After processing his brother's approval, Danny clapped him on the back graciously. "Thanks, man." Ready to divest himself of the spotlight, Danny asked, "So you and Ramon are okay now?"

Richie nodded solemnly. "I think us breaking up and taking that time apart helped us a lot. We actually, like, _communicate_ now. We understand where the other one's coming from a little better…most of the time."

Danny nodded, turning his cup absent-mindedly while Richie continued.

"It's kind of a struggle to not let all of those old insecurities creep back in, but we're getting stronger, smarter, more patient…it's working now. We're not perfect, but we love each other so deeply. The work seems a lot less like work, if that makes sense."

To Danny, hearing Richie actually talk of his own felt monumental. Despite being younger, he was always the self-assured one out of the two of them. It was something that Danny found enviable, when he wasn't awestruck by it. Best of all, hearing his brother talk of his and his partner's ability to power through their adversity made him feel hopeful about his and Mindy's chances.

"Nah, it makes sense. A _lot_ of sense, actually."

* * *

Hideaway had to be one of the coolest, most unorthodox concepts for a night club that Mindy had ever experienced. A stark contrast from the typical host of strobe lighting and steel beams she had familiarized herself with in the city, stepping into Hideaway made her feel as if she were in the woodsy outdoors deep in a secluded, forgotten section of the forest. The floors were made of distressed wood, silken shrubbery lined the walls, and the bars and DJ booth looked like they were built for a rickety shack, adorned with crudely made signs listing the drink specials and the guest DJ of the night. The piece de résistance, however, were the two massive, daringly realistic replicas of oak trees, literally rooted into the ground through the wooden flooring and reaching the tall ceiling. Every detail was exact, even down to the pine-scented atmosphere. The trees, as well as the bar and DJ booth, were lined with simple strings of white lights. House music thumped confidently throughout the establishment and influenced the movement of the dense crowd, every inch of space occupied by dancing bodies, as opposed to a centralized dance floor. The noise was joyous, everything glowed, and Mindy was certain that this place was magical.

The men didn't express any major astonishment outside of the obligatory "wow" and "that's pretty neat," but were swept into the festive ambiance as quickly as Mindy was, Ramon heading straight to the bar while Richie and Danny gravitated towards the dancing.

Danny tugged on Mindy's hand. "Are you gonna dance with me or do I have to beg?" he shouted over the noise. "I will if I have to, but…"

Mindy rolled her eyes in jest. "Have some dignity, man! And yes, I'm definitely grinding on you tonight, but I'm going to get some water first. Ramon and I will find you guys."

Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Danny leaned forward and kissed Mindy chastely before following his brother into the fray. Mindy quickly found Ramon and carefully wedged herself between him and a woman who appeared to be hitting on him mercilessly.

"Not gonna happen, babe, save yourself the trouble," Mindy warned her firmly. The woman huffed and moved on swiftly with her drink.

"Thank you, Mindy," Ramon sighed, which tapered into a chuckle. "The women here are really aggressive. Have you noticed?"

"They're also really wasted," Mindy added. "But you should be used to this attention, right? I mean, look at you."

Ramon readily accepted the compliment, almost as easily as anyone would accept a well-known fact, and replied. "It happens, but I know how to deal with it back home. New atmosphere, different type of attention…it catches me off-guard at times."

Just then the bartender acknowledged them and took their drink orders. He handed Mindy a bottle of water from below the bar and immediately went to work on Ramon's specified cocktails.

"So, does it ever cause trouble with Richie?" Mindy asked curiously. "Does he ever get super jealous? I think I would."

Ramon looked thoughtfully forward. "Not so much anymore. He used to. We both did, actually. C'mon, look at him. He's adorable."

Mindy giggled and nodded. "It definitely runs in the family."

"Well, you have no reason to ever get jealous." Two dark cocktails were placed in front of Ramon, who handed the bartender a crisp bill. "Danny loves you. He can't hide it at all."

Beaming, Mindy was lead by Ramon to the heavily occupied corner of the club, where Richie was accosted by an energetic young woman. Richie responded spiritedly, dancing with her easily. The girl's friend followed suit and approached Danny, dancing sultrily towards him with coy eyes and a sneaky smile. Mindy thought she could hear the part of her buried deep within, screaming at her to stomp over there and push the brazen girl into the nearest shrub.

Suddenly, she pictured Danny's face when he told her that he loved her, how open and sincere it had been. The sureness in his timbre echoed in her ears, far louder than the music or the clunky heels of the woman vying for his attention. She could feel the dormant jealousy within her slowly suffocate, even though she was still curious to see how Danny would react.

Mindy didn't have to wait long. The girl attempted to wrap her arms around his shoulders, but was stopped when he , looking very uneasy, lightly grabbed her wrists with his thumb and forefinger and took a step back. He mouthed something unreadable from Mindy's distance, but it was enough to make the girl turn on her heels and scan the crowd for different prey. Danny visibly exhaled and made to turn around until he spotted Mindy observing him. She didn't bother to try to look casual and pretend as if she hadn't seen him, choosing instead to hold his gaze with satisfied smile.

It appeared he was oblivious, only noticing that she was looking and entirely missing the fact that she was pleased. He pushed his way through the crowd and reached her in a panic.

"Min, sweetie, I promise I didn't ask for that girl to be all over me-"

"Danny, it's-

" –she just kind of came out of –"

"No, _Danny,_ Danny, it's _fine_ –"

"One minute me and Rich are doing this dance we made up when we were in Staten, then the next minute –"

Mindy dropped her water bottle and launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his lips soundly. He immediately enveloped her with his arms tight around her waist, and she could feel his sigh of relief resonate throughout her body. Nipping at his bottom lip, she placed kisses at the corners of his mouth and on his chin before pulling back. Looking into his eyes, which were now heavily lidded and lit with surrounding tiny white lights, she realized that her ability to remain calm came from the luxury of knowing where Danny stood in his feelings for her. Remembering that she had never officially bestowed upon him the same courtesy, she spoke.

"I seriously love you," she said, careful that her eye contact was direct and purposeful. "You know that, right?"

Danny slowly gave her a smile that was almost child-like. Though he maintained the look of someone hearing a piece of wonderful news for the very first time, he still replied, "Yeah. Yeah, I knew that."

"Good," Mindy brightened. "And now, I feel like dragging my unnaturally gorgeous boyfriend," she paused for a moment, allowing them both to absorb the reality of their newly minted relationship, "onto the dance floor, making out with him furiously, and dancing with him to the point of public indecency. Seriously, we might get thrown out."

Still smiling, Danny gave her quick, but wet kiss on her lips. "Lead the way."

While they were never ejected from club, it was clear to all who were there that Daniel Castellano was a happily taken man.

* * *

They spent their final day wandering the city, visiting their favorite place and more affectionate than they had ever been, as if it were their last day on Earth rather than Key West. The moments without Danny touching her hips or Mindy kissing his earlobe were few and far between. They made their way back to Bettino's, where Danny successfully replaced the bottles of wine they had consumed. Mindy shopped with abandon while Danny looked on fondly, occasionally reminding her that they needed to be able to fit their luggage on the plane. They ended their day at Mallory Square for the Sunset Celebration, at the suggestion of a shop owner. Over an hour was spent watching the different street acts, including fire jugglers and a giant mechanical man on stilts. Just before the sun began to descend, Danny marveled at how differently this sunset felt, compared to the last one they'd shared. Gone was the looming uncertainty; now they were simply left with contentment as they look out to the horizon, Danny pressed against Mindy's back with his arms wrapped securely around her waist. He kissed her cheek softly. Mindy hummed at the contact.

"I hate to sound presumptuous," Danny said in a low voice close to her ear, "but we should make plans to come back next year…maybe even the year after that…"

Rendered breathless by the sentiment, Mindy craned her neck so that she could see his face. At the sight of his lopsided grin and daring gaze, she puckered her lips and waited for him to lean down and oblige. Their lips met for a simple, lingering kiss. When they parted, Mindy gave a curt nod.

"Let's make some plans."

Danny returned the nod with one of his own. "Alright, then."

"…Alright, then."

* * *

What the pair hadn't taken into account was how much plans can change. When Danny's family planned a family reunion in Hawaii a year later, he insisted that Mindy accompany him there rather than head back to Florida. After swimming with dolphins, many moonlight dances, and a day locked in their hotel room, they vowed that this would be the place they would return – their "new spot."

Another year passed and they found themselves in Jamaica after a very influential spread in Elle magazine. Despite Danny's dramatic (and somewhat painful) introduction to jerk chicken, they ended the trip with a list of new, very important promises, one of which was to return to this new haven as much as they could, hand in hand.

Two years later, Danny and Mindy stopped planning romantic excursions and began investing in family trips. Though Danny argued that a trip to Disney Land would do little to impress a toddler, they jetted to the opposite coast after Mindy insisted that Nia's eyes lit up at the mention of Mickey Mouse. The Lahiri-Castellanos shared a magical trip, but after endless kisses, hugs, cuddles and memories, they learned to stop making fruitless plans and simply allow love and life to guide them to their next adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hideaway is actually inspired by a club in Jacksonville, FL called The Pearl. I only ever got to experience it once before they closed their doors in 2012, but it was an amazing place and I wanted to pay homage to it.
> 
> **The Chris Messina reference (if you can spot it) is a result of sleep deprivation. Whatever, I'm proud of it. :-)**


	13. Epilogue

When Danny rolled over in his plush bed and found the space next to him vacant, there was no confusion as to the whereabouts of his wife. All he had to do was follow the smell of olive oil getting too hot in the pan.

He was greeted at the bottom of the stairs by a thin haze of smoke, the sound of cloth waving and snapping in the air, and a string of harshly whispered profanities. The familiarity of it all overshadowed any possible worry the scene may have garnered in the past. After over two decades, Danny had lost count of the number of times he had entered their kitchen to find Mindy amid a cloud of smoke, wildly disposing of the burnt evidence of her failed culinary misadventure. This time, while he couldn't immediately spot any charred food, he did notice the curling opaque wisps emanating from the skillet while his perturbed wife flapped a plaid dish towel towards the small window above the sink, attempting to usher the smoke out of their home.

"Min," Danny called out gently, quickly stepping towards the sleek black stove and pushing the 'off' button. He quickly moved the cookware to a cold burner and turned on the overhead fan just above the range top.

Mindy sighed. "I didn't want to wake you up. I got hungry and was trying to make a grilled cheese when I got a bit distracted."

Danny looked at the pan and pointed at its contents. "And you're using olive oil? For grilled cheese? Sweetheart, I know you're not the greatest cook, but-"

"Okay, it didn't start out as grilled cheese," Mindy confessed as she tossed the towel in exasperation. "I started to make that breaded eggplant that Nia taught me how to make before she left, but I got through slicing half of the eggplant before I got impatient. I figured a grilled cheese toasted with olive oil wouldn't be too different from one with butter, yeah?"

Danny was no stranger to this brand of thinking, living through disastrous meals where she replaced regular milk with almond milk, or one instance when she made a holiday ham and improvised with a roll of pineapple Lifesavers candies after forgetting to purchase the pineapple rings for the garnish. He smiled, knowing that this wasn't the worst idea she's ever had in this room.

"You know, I would have made you something had you just woke me up." He leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms over his pajama-clad chest.

Mindy adjusted the belt on her satin robe and settled next to him. "And be made to endure another lecture about fried food and the aging metabolism? No thanks."

They wore mirrored smirks, finding comfort in their usual banter after a day filled with melancholy.

"I miss her," Mindy said with a whisper.

Danny wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gently kissed her temple, close to the corner of her eye. "Yeah, me too. She's gonna do so well in California, though. And she has family out there and she'll make a ton of friends…"

Mindy rested her head on his shoulder. Up close he could see that she stopped dying her roots and had begun to allow some of the gray to surface at her hair line. This sight caused a swell of affection for her, reminding him that yes, they were actually growing old together, just as he had dreamed.

"I found her little 'to do' list while I was cleaning up her room," Mindy said softly, followed by a tiny sniffle.

"You mean the one that said, '1. Send updated transcripts. 2. Get Sir Barkley groomed. 3. Teach mom how to make the eggplant without setting the house aflame'?"

"A little dramatic, I feel," she replied with a low chuckle.

"Well, she is your daughter," Danny replied, his voice steady with certain pride he felt whenever he talked about the child he had raised with the love of his life. Even in his late fifties, there were still times when he was awestruck by his reality, and he wondered if it all would have still come to fruition had he abstained from the trip as originally planned. He shuddered at the possibility of him getting in the way of his own happiness.

"I also told her to take a picture of every single celebrity she sees," she continued.

"Well, she'll be in Irvine, not L.A."

"Close enough."

He rubbed her arm tenderly with a sigh. "So, what do you want to do this week? Maybe we can invite Jeremy and his wife over for dinner?"

"That might be nice," Mindy agreed wistfully. "I was thinking about looking around the house and seeing what we can get rid of. It's getting a little cluttered; it wouldn't hurt to minimize a little."

"I don't think I've ever, in all the years that I've known you, heard the word 'minimize' come out of your mouth. Our wedding registry was thirty pages long. Bed Bath & Beyond had to bind them like a book just to keep it together."

"That's your fault!" Mindy exclaimed, pulling away in order to stand in front of him. "It's mostly your stuff I'm tripping over! You've become a little hoarder in your old age!"

"Okay, 'hoarder' is a bit of an overshot. I'm a man of few, but classic, possessions. You just don't like them."

"I don't like them because they're useless!"

"That's a lie! Name one thing!" Danny placed his hands on his hips and waited. Mindy immediately turned towards an old CD player in the corner closest to the refrigerator.

"Well, we can start with _that_ relic over there," she pointed. "I feel like it's going to fall apart with a strong gust of wind."

"What?!" Mildly offended, Danny stepped around his wife and made his way over to the CD player. "This thing is a treasure. It's sturdy, the sound quality is adequate, and this 'relic' has provided the soundtrack for all the most important Lahiri-Castellano moments. Our proposal, Nia's birth, her first dance recital in the living room," he ticked off on his fingers, "and it still works! Watch."

He pressed the 'play' button, which only elicited a strange clicking sound. "C'mon, you dumb…" Danny mumbled before smacking the top forcefully. The music of Frank Sinatra erupted from the speakers, sounding only slightly warbled as the crooner began to sing of love at first sight.

"See there?" Danny taunted with pride.

Mindy laughed. "Oh, God, Danny that sounds awful."

He shook his as slinked rhythmically towards her. "Nah, it just sounds like it has a lot of character. You like a lot of character, remember?"

Danny reached out tugged her by her robe until she was almost flush against his body. She smiled wide as he slid an arm around her waist while the other grabbed her hand gently. As he felt Mindy's hand come to rest at the nape of his neck, they started to sway in time to the music. Gazing into her eyes, he wondered how they managed to maintain their same luster all these years, shining brightly as they did during her days as a young resident. He felt like time had dulled a lot of his sharp edges, making him just a little grayer and a bit softer while she seemed to glow even more brilliantly than ever before. No matter how many times she assured him that he was still especially handsome, using words like "distinguished" and "Clooney-esque," he never believed that he would be able to catch up to her beauty. He was more than happy to lag behind.

He led their simple movements, remaining in one spot while they gently rocked and rotated to Sinatra's sultry vibrato.

"Okay, the player stays," Mindy agreed just above a whisper. "We'll visit the topic of your baseball cards later."

Smiling, he shifted their conjoined hands so that they sat just over his heart, then rested his chin at the top of her head as she laid his cheek against his chest. They both sighed, the debate over the validity of the player forgotten. Danny began to hum to the music, praying that his feet and hips would stay in good enough shape for them to be able to dance in their kitchen for the next thirty years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **This moment was inspired by a prompt I received on Tumblr: "** _I really would be interested to read a fic that has mindy/danny with OLDER kids, middle school or high school age. I don't think there is one like that at all."_ **I just wanted the person who left that prompt to see that I did try to offer at least a snippet of that time, even though it is nowhere near the full-fledged fic this prompt deserves. I did, however, think this was a lovely place to end things.**
> 
> **I hope you all enjoyed this story! Please feel free to leave a comment and thank you so much for taking a moment to read my work! I cannot express my gratitude enough!**


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